Mad Cow disease-what do do?

Old Jan 27th, 2001, 11:36 AM
  #1  
ken cohen
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Mad Cow disease-what do do?

I am going to London in February and my children are such finicky eaters. How serious is mad cow disease? What could I do to prevenet it? How common really is it?
Thanks
 
Old Jan 27th, 2001, 11:46 AM
  #2  
Elaine
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You can't prevent mad cow disease - it's already there. You can try and prevent your children (and yourself) contracting the human equivalent (CJD), but since BSE (or its equivalent) have already been found in various species of animals all over Europe and the US, you'd have to adopt a vegan lifestyle for the rest of your lives. If this doesn't sound particularly appealing, then join the other 99% of the population and take a chance on it!
 
Old Jan 27th, 2001, 12:12 PM
  #3  
mike
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Or you could simply avoid beef while there, sticking to fowl, fish, etc. That would greatly reduce the risk. Mike.
 
Old Jan 27th, 2001, 12:30 PM
  #4  
Elaine
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Like I said, the equivalent to BSE (bovine spongiform encephalytis) (sp?) has been found in various species of animals - including sheep (in the form of a type of scrapies) in the US. So just avoiding beef cannot guarantee that you won't contract the human equivalent - CJD (Creuzfeldt Jakob Disease) (sp again?). You also have to consider all the bi-products of animals used in pharmaceuticals, confectionery (eg gelatine) etc, in order to steer clear of any possible contaminants.
On the other hand, I'm not sure whether any of these animal diseases have actually been positively proved as having caused CJD in humans in the first place.
If avoiding beef in the UK makes you feel better and you choose to ignore all the other factors, then go ahead, but if you're seriously concerned about CJD (NOT mad cow disease!), then please do a bit of serious research on the subject, rather than asking the qudestion in a travel forum!
 
Old Jan 27th, 2001, 09:43 PM
  #5  
be-a-vegan
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Thus far it hasn't been too 'common' (I'm talking the human equivalent of the disease) --- believe there's been less than 100 documented cases in Europe, with the majority being in England. But at this point there's more that they DON'T know than they do know. Remember it was only 15 years ago that hardly anyone knew a thing about 'Acquired Immune Deficiency'. Things can change quite quickly.

I'd try to avoid eating beef while there.
 
Old Jan 27th, 2001, 10:45 PM
  #6  
xxx
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Avoid beef and feed your children power bars and other such nutritional bars for a good source of protein while traveling.
 
Old Jan 28th, 2001, 05:10 AM
  #7  
scott
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Well, I just read something that makes it sound worse than what has been reported in this forum. Below is a link that talks about them actually eating the animals in the zoo in Berlin!!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/Wo...ed280101.shtml
 
Old Jan 28th, 2001, 06:30 AM
  #8  
Ed
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Prevent it?

Don't eat beef. Simple, really.

Ed
 
Old Jan 28th, 2001, 03:42 PM
  #9  
claudia
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Especially avoid dishes "hiding" beef: meat filled pies, ravioli, lasagne, sauces, soups, canapes covered with jelly, things cooked with stock or similar...the worst ends up there
 
Old Jan 30th, 2001, 03:54 AM
  #10  
Liz
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The chances of catching CJD in London are absolutely miniscule. All beef now being served for human consumption is from very young cattle, who are not susceptible to BSE.

This issue has been vastly overstated by the media.

However, if you eat too much red meat, especially high-fat meat such as burgers, you have a very good chance of catching that other long-term killer - heart disease. And this goes for high-fact meat from ANY country!
 
Old Jan 30th, 2001, 04:19 AM
  #11  
bookwoman
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Why worry? How often do you get somewhere new, anyway? Besides, you only live once so you may as well enjoy it. I also will be going to England in February; I have never had a problem with the beef I have eaten there since the 70s so I intend to have at least one Roast beef/yorkshire pudding meal.
 
Old Jan 30th, 2001, 04:32 AM
  #12  
Joseph
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But it's not just the beef. They feed bovine to pigs, and then feed the pigs back to the beef. Vicious circle. It's the blood of the beef that's used in sausages, etc.

However, only 96 people have gotten it over the last 15 years. All the beef was slaughtered when this began, and then all the newly born cattle again 7 years later.

It's more of a p/r nightmare then anything else. Now Americans living abroad for more then 6 months can't donate blood. I've been in the UK for 3 years!

Incubation period is anywhere from 1 year to decades. They are likely to find a cure in the next 30 years.

If you like, there are some restaurants serving only Argentinean beef I could recommend. That's pretty safe.

Joe
 
Old Jan 30th, 2001, 04:43 AM
  #13  
alexander
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BSE has been massively hyped up by the press in europe... you're only really in danger if you eat at Mac donalds everyday or if you eat frozen processed hamburgers etc! Now that so many people have got the fear on the continent, beef prices are coming down... which is awesome..
 
Old Jan 30th, 2001, 07:22 AM
  #14  
Hans H
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As someone else said, very little is known about the disease. As far as I know, the facts are as following:

BSE was spread by the feeding of animals with animal feed made from other animals. It became obvious in cows since they life long enough to develop the symptoms, which doesn't mean that the disease can't be carried in other animals.

BSE is similar to CJD, a very rare illness. It is known that is happens more often in regions where parts of animals like the brain are eaten but nevertheless it was extremely rare. The last years saw an increase in the CJD cases, sometimes concentrated in small places, making it statistically unlikely that this increase is normal. It is supposed that the incubation period might take more than a decade.

By now, it is assumed that BSE is transferred especially by the feeding of brain or nerve cells (which was done in the production of animal feed). But it is in no way clear how the disease is transferred from one animal to the next and it is not clear how, or even if, the transfer from animal to human happens. Neither is it clear how one actually gets ill and so on.

Basically, nobody knows for sure whether a real danger exists, how big the danger is or what can be done to prevent the danger for sure. Many measures were taken within the last few years to get BSE under control. These measures are certainly sensible but in my opinion they are no guarantee that the whole crises is over.

The PR problem is that at any time during the many years of the BSE crises, it was stated that everything is under control. Measures were always taken only years after the first indications existed that something was amiss. At no point of the crises did the responsible politicians act to prevent something which was indicated instead of reacting to obvious problems after years of criticism. I don't trust anyone who tells me that there exists no risk today since the responsible people also avoided the actions taken today, stating all the time that they were unecessary and that everything was totally safe.

As I see it, there isn't enough known about the whole problem to give any guarantees. It might very well be that no or only a minimal risk exists but it can't be excluded that a high risk exists. As for possible cures, who knows. At least up to now, I haven't heard of any indication that they have a lead in which direction the research should go. I don't see a sensible reason why a cure for CJD should be more probable than for example a cure for cancer or AIDS.
 
Old Jan 30th, 2001, 01:58 PM
  #15  
Joe
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Assuming you are an American, then the comparative risk is indeed minuscule. The chances of being murdered in the USA in any given period far outweigh the chances of contracting BSE from contaminated meat in the United Kingdom. Go on a meat-eating vacation to England and actually enhance your longevity!

Joe
 
Old Jan 30th, 2001, 09:05 PM
  #16  
xxx
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Ken, to answer your original question, it seems that there are still many uncertainties and unanswered questions regarding mad cow/bse/vcjd. The number of mad cows with bse and the number of deaths from vcjd are two different statistics. Scientists all around the world are working to learn more about bse and hopefully they'll be able to prevent more deaths from vcjd. It is serious, especially with regard to children. You can minimize your children's chances of contracting vcjd by not allowing them to eat beef in any form (steak, sausage, hamburger etc.). Children are young and hopefully have many more years to live, it would be irresponsible as a parent to allow them to eat beef and have them worry for the rest of their lives whether they may come down with vcjd. It isn't worth it to me, so during my family's visit this spring, my carnivorous three year old won't be eating ANY meat products (beef, pork, lamb) or milk. I'm positive that going three weeks without meat won't kill her, but unfortunately, eating it may. Fortunately, she likes chicken nuggets, but even if she only ate water and bread for three weeks, at least I wouldn't be wondering if what she ate would end up being the death of her. Here's a site to look at www.mad-cow.org
 
Old Jan 30th, 2001, 09:31 PM
  #17  
Holly
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Anyone who isn't paying attention to this BSE thing in Europe OR in the USA is either extremely ignorant, or in denial. Back up a few posts and re-read what Hans said; then start doing a little (RECENT) research.
 
Old Jan 31st, 2001, 04:16 AM
  #18  
mary
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European beef is about as dangerous now as US Hormone-pumped beef. There WAS a problem - you should only worry if you lived on burgers 10 years ago.
 
Old Jan 31st, 2001, 05:17 AM
  #19  
Liz
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Nicely put, Mary!
 
Old Jan 31st, 2001, 05:53 AM
  #20  
Penny
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I just read a well-written book about all forms of spongiform encephalopathy, Deadly Feasts, by Richard Rhodes. It made me stop eating beef and pork and lamb, not necessarily because of the risk of BSE or CJD but because of the descriptions of slaughterhouses and what the remains are used for. I've chosen to forget stuff I read about bone meal for roses and protein supplements for chickens, etc.

The thing is, the disease can be latent for a number of years--10? 15? before symptoms arise. I'm convinced that Wimpy Burger I ate in 1979 will be striking me at any time! Seriously, I'm not an alarmist usually, but I'd skip the beef and anything containing beef. I can speak with some authority that the English make really good grilled cheese.
 

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