News Release
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Contact: Ben Richey |
USDA Official Updates
Industry on Progress Since BSE Discovery in U.S.
ST. PAUL,
Minn.—Fortunately the American public has taken the discovery of BSE in
the U.S. calmly according to both public opinion polls and the market
place, said Dr. Ron DeHaven, administrator of the U. S. Department of
Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
Dr. DeHaven told members of the National Institute for
Animal Agriculture at their annual meeting last week that surveillance
sampling of more than 300,000 animals considered to be in a high-risk
category has yet to find another incidence of the disease.
“We have had three samples that were ‘inconclusive’
and required further testing which in the end were negative,” he said.
“While we would rather not have announced an inconclusive
finding, we felt that it was necessary to bring to light rather than to
have rumors circulate and find their way to the public attention.”
The surveillance program does not test for the presence of the
disease in the total cattle population, rather focusing on high-risk cattle.
It
does however, according to DeHaven, assure the public that there is
a very low risk of them being exposed to the disease. More than 400 animal agriculture professionals and officials
from the U.S. and abroad, attended the 2005 NIAA Annual Meeting, a record
attendance for the second straight year. The National Institute for Animal Agriculture began
operations in January 2000. NIAA's
mission is to provide a forum for building consensus and advancing
solutions for animal agriculture and to provide continuing education and
communication linkages for animal agriculture professionals. The organization is dedicated to
programs that work towards the eradication of diseases that pose a risk to
the health of animals, wildlife and humans; promote a safe and wholesome
food supply for our nation and abroad; and promote best practices in
environmental stewardship, animal health and well-being. Members include professionals
engaged in animal agriculture including producers, veterinarians,
scientists, government representatives and business executives. #
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