So the animal tested the other day was indeed a false positive. So that's a relief. But then, I find this article and wonder what is going on.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Wednesday a cow that initially tested positive for mad cow disease has come back negative on follow-up testing, but a food industry consultant told United Press International he estimates there could be more than 100 cases of the deadly disorder in the country's herds.About half of the cases will go undetected and passed on for human consumption, Robert LaBudde, president of Least Cost Formulation Ltd., a food industry consultancy in Virginia Beach, Va., told UPI.
The USDA is still awaiting results from another case that initially tested positive Tuesday. Results could take four to seven days. Under the agency's expanded surveillance plan, which went into effect June 1, cows initially are screened by so-called rapid tests and any positives are followed up with confirmatory testing. The only confirmed U.S. case of mad cow disease to date occurred in Washington state last December.
Granted, it's a Moonie outlet, but it does pose a question. How safe are we really? It stands to reason that, quite possibly, there will be at least some cows that get the disease. And what if it did happen? Do you think they would actually want us to know? It would kill the beef industry in the country, and probably take the economy down with it as well. So what is going to happen? If cases do ever really surface, you and I probably won't know about it.