Mad Cow Disease
 

We're planning a trip to Italy this June. we heard a lot of people are canceling trips to Italy (Europe) due to the "mad cow disease." Has anyone heard any warnings or seen any articles about it? <BR>Thanks. <BR>Frank

Frank: <BR>Where have you been the last few weeks? This forum has covered this subject ad nauseum. Just go! My wife and I were in England, Scotland and France a week ago. No problems. <BR>John

Frank, Did you eat beef while you were in Scotland and England? We are planning a 15-day trip to Ireland and Scotland in July-Aug. Txs., Marie

You'll get lots of responses to this one--I hate to see another thread on this topic, but I can't help contributing. (Sorry to all of you who are sick of this thread, but I've held my peace too long!) There are MILLIONS of people in the British Isles who are not dropping dead of Mad Cow disease (new variant CJD) and many, many of them eat beef all the time. Less than 100 have died. You have much higher odds getting hit by a truck next time you leave home to go to the grocery store than of getting Mad Cow. British beef now is probably the safest in the world. I'd be much more frightened of e-coli, which you can get anyplace, as evidenced by the headlines that periodically crop up. Please, just go on your trip and HAVE FUN. You'll be sorry if you don't. You'll love it.

Frank, <BR> <BR>John can be forgiven (he needs it!) - - it's easy to forget that for all we know - - you haven't seen even a tiny fraction of what has been discussed on this board an hour ago or a day ago, let alone weeks ago. <BR> <BR>There is hardly a place on earht where you can't find a story of a (RARE) food-borne illness or a (not-so-rare) life threatening catastrophic event (like a car accident). It makes no more sense to cancel a trip to Europe based on a disease that is essentially (exclusively) veterinary - - than to confine your whole life to the block you live on. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>