PRESS
RELEASE

Despite Mad Cow Case, Beef in the Americas Remains Safe

Washington, DC, December 24, 2003 (PAHO)—The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said today that despite the detection of a possible case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, in the United States, the safety status of meat in the Americas remains unchanged and presents no cause for alarm.

"We have the necessary tools to control the situation and to eliminate any possibility of risk," said Dr. Albino Belotto, chief of PAHO’s Veterinary Public Health Unit.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman confirmed the detection of a possible case of BSE in a single cow in the state of Washington. This would represent the first sign of BSE in the United States. As a precautionary measure, the farm from which the sick cow originated, in the town of Mabton, was quarantined.

In a news conference, Veneman said that preliminary tests on tissue from the Holstein cow—which was ill prior to slaughter and probably not destined for human consumption—showed signs of BSE. Samples have been forwarded to the world reference laboratory in England for confirmation.

"Even though the risk to human health is minimal based on current evidence, we will take all appropriate actions out of an abundance of caution," said Veneman. She also discarded the possibility that the incident was related to terrorism.

Belotto said that risk analysis studies carried out in a number of Latin American countries confirm that both that region and the Caribbean are free of BSE and its human form, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).

South America has an estimated 290 million head of cattle, representing approximately 10 percent of the world’s bovine population. The English-speaking Caribbean, however, is a net importer of beef and other animal products.

For this reason, PAHO says it is imperative to maintain surveillance systems on the alert to detect any signs of the disease. The introduction of BSE would also raise the threat of commercial embargoes.

PAHO’s work in this area includes:

• Dissemination of technical information and guides on adoption of policies formulated by international organizations and government institutions.
• Technical cooperation with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to help organize epidemiological surveillance of BSE.
• Development of a network of laboratories to optimize surveillance systems.
• Development of shared methodologies among countries for confronting any detected risk.

In 2001, PAHO organized a meeting of health and agriculture ministers and BSE experts from around the world in Montevideo, Uruguay, where it presented a PAHO/WHO report establishing the scientific bases for decision-making on BSE and meat safety in the Americas.

When BSE first emerged in England in 1986, PAHO began promoting prevention and control of the disease. Since then, the only indigenous case reported in the Americas was in Alberta, Canada, in 2002, and subsequent control measures were considered successful.

A WHO report in 1995 concluded that "current control policies are considered adequate to minimize the risk of exposure to BSE of all species, including humans."

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) was established in 1902 and is the world’s oldest public health organization. PAHO works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of its people. PAHO serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO).

PAHO Member States today include all 35 countries in the Americas. France, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are Participating States. Portugal and Spain are Observer States. The U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is an Associate Member.