MadSci Network: Medicine |
Quinn, You've offered a provocative question, and I will try to supply you with enough information and resources so that you and your family can make informed decisions about your diets in Ireland. TSE stands for transmissable spongiform encephalopathy of which there are several varieties that have come to public attention in the last decade, most notably "mad cow disease." The nature of TSEs is still under scientific debate, but it is generally believed that infectious protein particles, called prions, wreak havoc in the brain of infected animals causing death. The tissue is destroyed, leaving holes and causing the brain to resemble a sponge, hence "spongiform." Scrapie is a TSE that primarily affects sheep. Goats are also subject to a TSE. A famous TSE that affects cows is referred to as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or "mad cow disease." Humans are also afflicted by a version of this prion disease known as Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease (CJD). Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is rare. It can be inherited, occur through spontaneous mutation, or be contracted if infected tissue is transplanted into a patient. However, in the late 1980's a series of new cases (nvCJD) were discovered that have been causally linked to the same agent as BSE, meaning that the disease was most likely acquired from eating infected meat products. The United Kingdom and the European Union have since implemented strong measures to eradicate BSE, and the situation continues to be monitored very closely. It is believed that cows acquired BSE through ingestion of feed that contained scrapie-infected sheep meat or BSE-infected cow meat, and it is now unlawful to have animal matter in feed. Since these regulations were instituted almost a decade ago, it is unlikely that cows infected before the ban are on the market, despite the fact that BSE may take up to 8 years to develop. Furthermore, certain parts of cows and sheep known to harbor the disease cannot be sold or processed; these include brain, spinal cord, and spleen among other things. The mention of sheep brings me to your initial question. According to the World Health Organization, despite the fact that cows probably acquired BSE from scrapie-infected sheep, there is no causal link between human consumption of sheep and nvCJD ( see: http:// www.who.int/emc/diseases/bse/tse_9703.html#a4). I have offered only a summary here because I want you to examine the following resources first hand so that you can be armed with information to make your own personal decisions. Undoubtedly, you will want to weigh what you consider to be the risks of eating beef or mutton with the benefits of immersing yourself in a culture. Given the info, only you can judge what your priorities will be. I enjoyed the thoughts that your questions provoked and am happy that, as a vegetarian, I won't be faced with such decisions! Good luck, and, again, please consult these websites for yourself! -Tinsley http:// www.cjdfoundation.org/CJDInfo.html The Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation , Inc. This site has comprehensive information on the disease along with links to other sites. http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ madcow.htm The Center for Disease Control's recommendation for travelers to western Europe includes helpful advice about relative safety of meat products. http://www.who.int/ inf-fs/en/fact113.html The World Health Organization offers a BSE fact sheet. Though it does not appear to have been updated since 1996, contact information is given. http://www.irlgov.ie/ daff/Bsejan00.htm Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development This site is the official site for Ireland's Department of Agriculture and offers statistics and measures Ireland has taken to control BSE. Please note that the Republic of Ireland is not part of the UK, and thus I am unsure if UK regulations apply in all instances. However, Ireland is a member of the European Union which has instituted strict regulations to eradicate BSE. http://www. ifst.org/hottop5.htm The UK's Institute of Food Science and Technology is an exhaustive resource for the technical details of BSE and its control. Legislative measures are included. http://www.fsai.ie/links.htm The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has multiple to links to governmental departments in Ireland, the UK, and the US. Information on BSE can be found usually through the agriculture department of each country. A comparison of each country's handling of BSE may be useful. http://www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/bse/bse-science/scrapie/scrp-q+ a.html The UK's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food offers a deeply detailed fact sheet on scrapie. Other links on this excellent site pertain to BSE.
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