A Short History of BSE and Canadas Cattle Industry

1
A Short History of BSE and Canadas Cattle
Industry
Whitney Corns April 4, 2008
2

• BSE or more commonly known as Mad Cow Disease
  is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle,
  that causes a spongy degeneration in the Brain
  and Spinal Cord.
• CJD(Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease)- is a very rare
  and incurable degenerative neurological disorder
  (brain disease) that is ultimately fatal.
• vCJD- is the variant form of CJD, caused by
  consuming the miss folded prion protein (
  associated with BSE)

3
BSE

• Signs and Symptoms of BSE

• 3-6 years
• Nervous/Aggressive Behavior
• Abnormal Posture
• Lack of Coordination
• Decrease Milk Production
• Weight Loss

4
BSE
Transmission Of BSE - Cause by cattle being fed
the remains of infected sheep or other cattle.
Diagnosis - The only way to test for BSE is on
deceased animals by pre-forming a microscopic
exam of the brain.
5
First Case of BSE in Canada1993
The first case of BSE diagnosed in Canada was a
feed cow that had been imported from the UK in
1987. This cow was only 6 months old when it was
imported. After discovering this case,the animal
was destroyed, tested and confirmed that it was
BSE and the government attempted to trace every
other head of cattle imported from the UK between
82 and90 Canada imported160 head from the UK
during this period. -53 had been slaughtered -16
died and sent for rendering -11 exported to the
US -79 were found and removed from the production
chain - 1 could not be traced.
6
Brief History of BSE in Britain

• First Identified in 1986
• Up to 2007 165 people died from vCJD
• Up to 2006 183,139 cases of BSE in cattle
• 3 cases of vCJD occurred in people who had lived
  or visited the UK (Ireland, Canada, US)
• Many of the vCJD victims were linked to direct
  evidence that they had consumed tainted beef.
• Estimated that 400,000 infected cattle entered
  the food chain in the 1980s
• People are still being diagnosed with vCJD each
  year but each year these numbers are dropping.

7
Country BSE Cases vCJD Cases U.K 183,823 165
Canada 10 1 U.S 3 3 Denmark 15 0 Germ
any 312 0 Italy 117 1 Netherlands 75 2
Republic of Ireland 1,353 4 Belgium 125 0 F
rance 900 11 Japan 26 1 Portugal 875
2 Spain 412 2 TOTAL AMOUNT OF BSE CASES IN
THE WORLD 188,535
8
Measures Taken Because of the 93 Case.

• In 2001 the Canadian Cattle Identification
  Program was introduced
• 1997 Cattle Producers are no longer allowed to
  feed bone meal or any ruminants with mammal meat
  meal, except meat made from pork or horse.

9
2003 Case of BSE

• Jan 31, 2003 a cow was found incapable incapable
  of rising.
• Sent to a slaughter house in the Peace River
  District.
• Head was sent away for further testing.
• May 20, 2003 the CFIA announced that their was a
  confirmed case of BSE in Alberta.
• This case had a great effect on the Canadian Ag.
  Market.

10
Investigation

• The CFIA launched an investigation to determine
  whether the cattle herds that came into contact
  with the infected, might possibly be infected
  also
• 3 main Paths Taken
• Infected Cows Herds of origin
• Herd Lineage
• Tracking of feed products that could contain
  traces of diseased animal carcass
• 15 farms quarantined
• 25 others were examined
• Led to the slaughter of more than 2700 head of
  cattle

11
Instant Effect

• When BSE hit the market for Canadian Beef
  plummeted, resulting in a large increase of the
  domestic supply of the animals.
• Imports peaked in June, then dropped shortly
  through July and August. Since then the value of
  imports has only been about half of what they
  were a year earlier.
• Levels of domestic slaughter also plunge
  following the ban. However when the impact
  payments from short-term government support
  programs were introduced, slaughter levels
  started to recover in July.
• The impact of the cutback in exports and lower
  slaughter levels were apparent on the farms. As
  of January 1, 2004 beef producers had a record
  14.7 million head of cattle on their farms. This
  is 1.2 million more than they had at the same
  time a year earlier. Thus costing farmers
  hundreds of thousands of dollars extra to feed
  the cattle.

12
Exports
Exports of meat began to recover in September and
by November they had slightly surpassed
year-earlier levels. By November 2003, 175.
Million worth of boneless beef was exported. This
was 36 below the value of the 2 billion worth
during the same 11 months of 2002
13
Imports

• Canada imported 825.8 million worth of beef in
  2003
• Canada imported 894.6 million worth of beef in
  2002
• In 2003 it only declined 7.7
• In November 2003 Canada imported 48.3 million
  worth of beef compared with 70.7 million in
  November of 2002.

14
Slaughter Prices
15
Canadas Role in the Export Market

• 3rd largest Beef Exporter in the world
• Beef export market worth 4.1 billion
• After Ban Exports were virtually zero
• Before ban almost half of the cattle sold in
  Canada were exported as either live animals or
  meat.
• 84 of Beef Exports went to the US in 2002
• 99.6 of Canadas live cattle went to the US in
  2002.
• Surplus of 3.2 billion in 2002.

16
This chart here shows the history of Live Cattle
Exports from Canada.
17
(No Transcript)
18
Canadian Export of Beef Products
19
December 23, 2003 Case

• A case of BSE was discovered in the United States
  this day.
• The cow was raised in Washington State
• DNA testing indicated it had been born in Alberta

20
Brief Border History

• May 2003- CFIA announces the discovery of a
  single case of BSE in Alberta. Borders are closed
  to ALL Canadian Cattle and beef products.
• August 2003- The United states announces partial
  re-opening of its border allowing imports of
  boneless meat from cattle less than 30 months old
• March 2005- Cuba reopens border to Live Canadian
  Cattle
• July 18, 2005- Re-opening of US border to live
  cattle under 30 months.
• November 2007- Allows import of meat from all
  older animals and any live cattle born after
  March 1999.

21
Government Programs

• Canada-Alberta BSE Surveillance Program
  (September 10, 2004)
• Canada -Alberta BSE Recovery Program (June 18,
  2003)
• Canada-Alberta 2004 Set Aside Program
• Alberta Winter Feed Program
• Alberta Beef Product and Market Development
  Program
• Farm Income Payment Program
• Loan Loss Reserve Program

22
Conclusion

• This second case tested the ability of the
  industry and health authorities in Canada
• Positive aspects include the fact that the
  Canadian Monitoring system was successful in
  detecting the sick animal, also the isolated case
  has led to additional sanitary measures that will
  make Canadian beef even safer.
• This single case of mad cow disease was enough to
  jeopardize an industry worth more than 7 billion
  annually.
• Showed exactly how much the Canadian market
  depends on the United States.