>...Though if you think the solution is vegetarianism (which I certainly
>support, even though I don't practice it myself), note that 49.6% of
>food-borne illnesses last year in the US was caused by PRODUCE, not by
>meat, according to CSPI.  Just putting things into perspective... BIG]
 
Understood.  Steve's a vegetarian, but I just don't thrive health-wise
on that myself, and the ferrets can't safely have that option, nor can
people's cats.  (I have not seen any studies so far with dogs getting
TSEs from prion infected beef.)
 
What I would like is for the testing to be done, especially of cattle
who are "downers".  From the various sources I've been reading the
current U.S. procedure only has sporadic testing of cattle who are
"downers" (sick or injured).  You'd think that cattle being sick would
be an indication that something could be wrong and perhaps it would
be downright stupid to feed anyone from that carcass.  I'd also like to
see the kill methods like bolts which can splatter CNS tissue completely
stopped.  I'd like to see stricter standards for what can go into the
foods for companion animals.  And I would like to see them stop the
procedure of feeding cattle offal to chickens and then using chicken
offal to feed cattle.  At this point it doesn't appear form preliminary
studies that chicken get TSEs, BUT there have been cases of them
never-the-less being able to have their remains be infectious with
retained prions for around two months after being last fed infected
offal.  There is also speculation that there MIGHT be similar risks with
farmed fish but studies appear to be even more lacking in that regard.
 
Tranmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies like Mad Cow Disease (infected
beef in diet has been found in study to be a cause of Transmissible Mink
Encephalopathy, and ferrets get TME) are rare but they are so extreme
in what they do that I can see using greater precautions, especially
with studies indicating that the greatest risk of infection, rapid
proliferation, shortest incubation, and most rapid deaths are in the
young (peaking for greatest infection risk in the teens and greatest
death risk in the mid twenties in one human study I read yesterday --
though it didn't go into whether that was due to increased exposures,
differences in the biology of rapidly growing beings, or what) .
 
Besides, considering what the beef recall, the bans, the recall of
renderings from all animals in that plant that day (tons of fat for
candles, soaps, etc., bone meal for fertilizers, and so on since
virtually all parts tend to be used) is costing I can't help but think
that it would have been not only safer but a lot cheaper for everyone
if inspection standards had not been reduced in the last few years, and
if we did use the tests (some of which actually were developed here and
made here -- yet we don't use them here).
 
Anyway, those are the changes I hope for -- for the sake of ferrets,
rabbits, cats, people, and other loved beings who get TSEs.  Sometimes
more government control and spending just plain makes sense and this is
one of those cases where there simply are logical steps which could have
been taken and which we should start taking ASAP.  If nothing else can
be implemented quickly, for gosh sakes at least bury the sick cattle and
stop feeding those downers to anyone as a first step.
 
Meanwhile, folks who enjoy beef (and I have to admit that I personally
love it) can stick to the safest cuts as per news releases last night.
I suspect that info should appear in places like the sites of the CDC,
Ag. Dept., etc.  If those two disagree I'd personally trust the CDC more
and go with what it says...
 
http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/ws/s076fx.pdf
 
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol9no12/03-0361-G.htm
 
Here's to improved inspection standards,safer farming and slaughtering
practices, and tighter regulations to protect our companion animals and
us -- starting with a return to the standards we had until the last
couple of years and then improving from there.
 
[Moderator's note: This all started on-topic enough -- people wanted to
know if ferrets can be affected and if pet food was safe, but by now it
has very little to do with ferrets.  Interesting, etc... but probably
we're straying just a little too far!  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 4377]