FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Alisa Harrison; 202/347-0228
Carina Bates; 312/329-7661
NATIONAL CATTLEMEN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION PUBLISHES EXPERT-REVIEWED RESOURCE ABOUT CLASSIC CJD, BSE AND nvCJD
(CHICAGO) -- April 17, 1998 -- The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) has just published an information resource about Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (classic CJD), Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and new variant CJD (nvCJD). Developed with input from leading U.S. experts in the fields of neuropathology, veterinary science and protein/prion studies, the CJD, BSE, nvCJD Information resource concisely explains the differences between the diseases and is based on published scientific analysis.
Classic CJD, BSE and nvCJD are complex diseases which the global medical community is only now beginning to understand more completely. The purpose of the new resource is to promote better understanding of these three distinctly different diseases," said Gary Weber, Ph.D., executive director of regulatory affairs for NCBA.
The CJD, BSE, nvCJD Information resource is available on the internet at www.beef.org/bse.htm. Limited supplies also are available for the cost of shipping and handling by calling 1-800-368-3138 and referencing product number 21050. (Limit 5 copies per order.)
Nature of the Diseases*
Classic CJD, BSE and nvCJD all belong to a family of degenerative neurological diseases called Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). Some TSEs affect animals, and others affect humans. BSE, which is commonly referred to as "mad cow disease," was first identified in the United Kingdom in 1985. More than 99 percent of BSE cases have been reported in cattle born in the U.K.
Classic CJD affects humans at a rate of approximately one person per million worldwide each year. This disease strikes men and women of diverse ethnic backgrounds, usually affects those older than 55 years of age and has been reported in countries where BSE has never occurred.
* All sources referenced to obtain this information are cited in the references/bibliography section of the CJD, BSE, nvCJD Information resource published by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
Classic CJD and nvCJD are distinctly separate diseases, each with its own unique characteristics. However, research has found that the same disease agent that causes BSE also may cause nvCJD. This supports the theory that nvCJD likely developed as a result of people consuming products contaminated with central nervous system tissue from BSE-infected cattle.
The U.S. Situation
A surveillance program begun in 1990 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has found no evidence of BSE in U.S. cattle. In addition, the USDA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and many arms of the livestock industry, have taken measures for nearly a decade to prevent BSE from occurring in the U.S.
* The United States has not imported beef from the U.K. since 1985.
* In 1989, the USDA banned the importation of ruminant animals and most ruminant products from countries with confirmed cases of BSE.
* More than 60 veterinary diagnostic laboratories throughout the United States participate in an ongoing BSE surveillance program in cooperation with the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
* In August 1997, the FDA banned the inclusion of most mammal-derived animal protein by-products in cattle feed.
* In December 1997, the USDA banned the importation of all live ruminants and certain ruminant products from all European countries until BSE is more fully examined.
While BSE has not been reported in the U.S., classic CJD is a naturally occurring disease that affects approximately one person per million worldwide each year, including residents of the U.S. Ongoing surveillance of classic CJD cases by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that the incidence rate of classic CJD cases in the U.S. has remained relatively stable since 1979. As of March 1998, nvCJD officially has been reported in 24 people under the age of 45 in Europe (23 in the U.K. and one in France). Surveillance by the CDC, in collaboration with state health departments, has found no evidence of nvCJD in the U.S.
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association is the marketing and trade association for America's one million cattle farmers and ranchers. NCBA's mission is to provide consumers with a great beef experience every time, and it does so through extensive consumer, industry and product research as well as marketing programs designed to meet consumer needs.
RSS