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CNN Live At Daybreak
First U.S. Case of Mad Cow Disease
Aired December 24, 2003 - 06:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The fallout has already begun overseas, following the announcement of an apparent case of mad cow disease here in the U.S. It would be the first case here and just the second in all of North America. Japan and South Korea have banned the import and sale of American beef. Many other Asian countries have followed their lead. Those two countries accounted for nearly half of all U.S. beef exports last year.
For more on the disease and the potential for the economic disaster, we turn to CNN medical correspondent Christy Feig in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANN VENEMAN, AGRICULTURE SECRETARY: A single Holstein cow from Washington State has tested as presumptive positive for BSC, or what is widely known as mad cow disease.
CHRISTY FEIG, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The announcement is one of the greatest fears of the U.S. beef industry, because it could potentially cost it billions in trade. The industry believes its product is safe.
CHANDLER KEYS, NATIONAL CATTLEMAN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION: Beef is safe. We have firewalls in place. This cow was caught. The infected agents are not in the beef system.
FEIG: But already, Japan has announced it's banning beef imports from the U.S. And McDonald's, the world's largest fast food company, said Tuesday the meat packer in question has no connection whatsoever to McDonald's supply chain.
The animal in question came from a farm about 40 miles southeast of Yakima, Washington.
VENEMAN: Despite this finding, we remain confident in the safety of our food supply. The risk to human health from BSC is extremely low.
FEIG: Mad cow disease was first discovered in the United Kingdom in 1986. In the following years, more than 3.5 million infected cattle there were killed. To this day, the U.S. does not import beef from England or from any of the 21 other countries who've had infected cattle.
Cows can get infected with the disease when they eat food containing the tissue of infected animals -- a practice that has since been stopped in the U.S. In rare cases, humans can also get infected if they eat certain tissue from infected animals.
Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired December 24, 2003 - 06:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The fallout has already begun overseas, following the announcement of an apparent case of mad cow disease here in the U.S. It would be the first case here and just the second in all of North America. Japan and South Korea have banned the import and sale of American beef. Many other Asian countries have followed their lead. Those two countries accounted for nearly half of all U.S. beef exports last year.
For more on the disease and the potential for the economic disaster, we turn to CNN medical correspondent Christy Feig in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANN VENEMAN, AGRICULTURE SECRETARY: A single Holstein cow from Washington State has tested as presumptive positive for BSC, or what is widely known as mad cow disease.
CHRISTY FEIG, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The announcement is one of the greatest fears of the U.S. beef industry, because it could potentially cost it billions in trade. The industry believes its product is safe.
CHANDLER KEYS, NATIONAL CATTLEMAN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION: Beef is safe. We have firewalls in place. This cow was caught. The infected agents are not in the beef system.
FEIG: But already, Japan has announced it's banning beef imports from the U.S. And McDonald's, the world's largest fast food company, said Tuesday the meat packer in question has no connection whatsoever to McDonald's supply chain.
The animal in question came from a farm about 40 miles southeast of Yakima, Washington.
VENEMAN: Despite this finding, we remain confident in the safety of our food supply. The risk to human health from BSC is extremely low.
FEIG: Mad cow disease was first discovered in the United Kingdom in 1986. In the following years, more than 3.5 million infected cattle there were killed. To this day, the U.S. does not import beef from England or from any of the 21 other countries who've had infected cattle.
Cows can get infected with the disease when they eat food containing the tissue of infected animals -- a practice that has since been stopped in the U.S. In rare cases, humans can also get infected if they eat certain tissue from infected animals.
Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
