U.S. Needs National Animal Tracing System, Says DeLauro
U.S. Needs National Animal Tracing System, Says DeLauro
- Threat of 2nd American Case of "Mad Cow" Renews Concerns -
WASHINGTON, D.C. - With the threat of a second case of "mad cow" disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) looming in the U.S., Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) today said the time was now for a national animal identification system. DeLauro has previously called for instituting a system that could detect where cattle were raised within 48 hours of a "mad cow" outbreak. Tracing an animal's origin back would allow ranchers to determine other possible cases of the disease.
"The possibility of a second case of "mad cow' in America raises concerns over the integrity of our cattle," said DeLauro. "The government must proactively put in place policies, such as a national animal tracing system, and systematic controls on animal feed to assure we are doing all we can to diminish foodborne illness outbreaks and maintain confidence in our food supply."
Late last night, USDA officials announced that a downer cow that died last November tested a "weak positive" for BSE. The animal had previously tested disease free, but after discrepancies were found by the USDA's investigative arm, second tests were called. The samples now go on for additional testing at the world's leading "mad cow" lab in England.
"The fact that this cow was a downer cattle and that USDA was forced, by its own Inspector General, to do a second set of tests on this animal means that the U.S. is not doing all it can to track BSE," said DeLauro. "While I am pleased that this animal did not enter the food supply, the threat of BSE is clearly still present. Until we get our national animal identification system up and running, and improve our surveillance system, our readiness to defend the U.S. cattle supply will continue to be questioned."
In April, USDA said it was considering lifting the ban on injured or "downer" cattle, put in place after the first case of "mad cow" disease in the country. DeLauro wrote to Secretary Johanns, urging him to reconsider this policy, and raising questions about the current surveillance testing system. Previous cases have shown that a cow's injury can be a sign of BSE.
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