Diane

There have been some excellent posts on this forum regarding Mad Cow Disease, but mostly regarding eating meat products, and very few references to dairy products. Does anyone know if there is a risk of contracting this disease associated with consuming dairy products? Thanks in advance for your help!

Ann

This is not a disease that affects humans - it is a disease of cloven-hoofed animals. It is spread rather like a cold is spread - ie mainly by airborne virus, though it can be spread by direct contact. There is no risk therefore of contracting it <BR>a) because that is not how it is contracted <BR>b) because it is not a human disease <BR> <BR>This disease, while a disaster for farming and country people, is having no impact whatsoever on the vast majority of the population. (Apart, that is, from the usual people who go out and stockpile food)

Anna

Diane-Ann is addressing hoof and mouth, and not what you asked about. Dairy products are safe from BSE (of course, the way they refrigerate dairy products in Britain, I wouldn't say they're safe from everything else!). My understanding is that meat still on the bone holds the greatest risk of Mad Cow.

Florence

Ann, I think you refer to foot and mouth disease, while Diane asked about BSE. <BR> <BR>Actually, FaMD can be contracted by humans, but will remain very benign. <BR> <BR>As far as I know, there is no evidence of a risk of contracting BSE from dairy products.

Ann

So sorry! End of a long day!

anna

PLEASE! Hoof and Mouth disease CANNOT be contracted by humans. Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease, caused by Coxsackie virus, is a COMPLETELY different disease, and causes a mild illness in humans, mostly children, but is NOT the same virus as Hoof and Mouth disease.

medic

p[lease note. foot(hoof)and mouth disease is RARELY caught by humans but it does happen. several sources confirm this. by the way what does rarely mean? rarely sen clinically or rarely reported a big difference- many have seen some very unusual and rare diseases but are to bust in clinical practice to take the time to submitt a written report to a good journal. correctly it not a large problem for humans but lets keep the facts that are passed on as accurate as possible. i fell into that trap once myself.

Carla

Can someone tell me wha BSE disease is? <BR>Also, are there really difficulties traveling to Ireland from England. Three friend and I are going to Ireland in July...they'll spend 3 days in London (anyone have suggestions as to safe, clean and reasonable places to stay?) I'll be in Brittany for a week, and fly to Dublin from France. <BR>This is a new site for me, but I find the comments and information interesting and helpful. Thank you, carlamac <BR>

Florence

Carla, <BR> <BR>BSE = bovine spongious encephalopathy = mad cow disease, most probably linked to a variant of Creutzfeld-Jacob disease in humans. <BR> <BR>Regarding your question about travel to Ireland, you should repost it as a separate thread since it won't reach the eyes of Ireland specialists here.

sylvia

I read recently that it is possible for humans to catch foot and mouth. It presents as a sort of mild flu. Ironically, it is also a mild disease in cattle. The reason for killing infected herds is purely economic.

frank

There is no risk of BSE from dairy products. <BR>The risk of getting it from meat is in the order of a million to one.It only occurrs in nerve tissue (brain, spinal cord etc) <BR>These tissues are scrapped. <BR>British meat is the most heavily inspected in Europe.

Kate

Sorry Frank, but you are in need of correction on your Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease(nvCJD)odds. <BR>An epidemic in Leicestershire of this disease which involved 5 deaths was clearly documented by Promed and the BBC all last year(2000). Given the general state of slaughterhouses(anywhere!) there is no promise that cross contamination will not happen regardless of how well meat is inspected. As someone who has worked for the health department for the last 13 years, I would advise you to be leaning away from eating any cow products in your future travels. <BR> <BR>Pass the peas! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

frank

Kate, the people who died were eating nerve tissue which was then legal. <BR>It isn't now. <BR>Even ignoring this my odds are right.What are yours?

Kate

Frank...Site your source on that "fact" and I'll tell you!!!! <BR> <BR>I would advise folk to look at the ProMED 2000 archives on CJD for some good info. <BR> <BR>http://www.promedmail.org <BR> <BR> ProMED actively tracks things as they are happening and is a great tool for the traveler/infectious disease worker. Currently there are many reports on the hoof and mouth outbreaks in Europe. Don't let the reports creep you out too much, just consider it another piece of travel homework to do! <BR> <BR>KD <BR>

Kate

Sorry,forgot to mention... lest people think that a BSE(Mad Cow Disease) problem only belongs to the UK: <BR>Both Italy and Spain have announced some new BSE cases in the last few days. <BR> <BR>KD <BR>

latest

Investigators say they have traced the exact cause of Britain's first CJD cluster in the village of Queniborough in Leicester. But the results will not be published until villagers themselves are told on 21 March. <BR> <BR> <BR>