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USDA Chief Veterinary Officer On Surveillance And Milk Safety
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Note for broadcasters: B-roll of cows follows Dr. Clifford’s actuality on the file available on the FTP site.
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ACTUALITY – USDA Chief Veterinary Officer On Surveillance And Milk Safety
INFO: USDA Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. John Clifford explains the system of strong interlocking safeguards designed to protect human and animal health.
Dr. John Clifford, Chief Veterinary Officer For the United States of America:
Hello, I’m Dr. John Clifford, chief veterinary officer for the United States of America. At USDA, we oversee a system of strong interlocking safeguards that protect human and animal health, as well as food safety in the United States. Those safeguards include targeted surveillance activities. Through that surveillance program, on April 24th we confirmed the nation’s 4th case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, in a dairy cow on the west coast. BSE is a fatal disease affecting the central nervous system of adult cattle. We proactively test for BSE in order to detect the disease at the very low level of less than 1 case per million adult cattle, to assess any change in the BSE status of U.S. cattle, and to identify any rise in BSE prevalence in the country. Our targeted surveillance program has been in place since 1990. We currently test for BSE at levels 10 times greater than World Animal Health Organization standards. We test approximately 40,000 animals per year, taking those samples from cattle where the disease is most likely to be found. This includes animals that have clinical signs consistent with BSE, have other central nervous system abnormalities, die for unknown reasons, or cannot walk or move well. We collect samples from a variety of locations where the targeted groups of animals are found. The samples from the animal in question were taken at a rendering facility in California. Our surveillance works. We found this case of BSE. The carcass of the animal was held at the rendering facility and then will be destroyed. It was never presented for processing for human consumption. At no time did it present a risk to the food supply. Our food supply remains safe. With California being a large dairy state, there have been some concerns raised about milk. Let me assure you, our milk is safe to drink. Scientific research demonstrates that BSE cannot be transmitted in cow’s milk, even if that milk comes from a cow with BSE. The World Health Organization has stated that tests on milk from BSE-infected animals have not shown any BSE infectivity. Milk and milk products, are, therefore considered safe to consume. Let me assure consumers and our trading partners that ongoing BSE surveillance allows the USDA to detect BSE at very low levels in the U.S. cattle population. The safeguarding system is working. For updates on our ongoing investigation and more information about BSE in general, visit our website at www.usda.gov.
