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FUNKY FUNDING? FLAWED FACTS?
In a publication called LabLines issued by Colorado State University's
Veterinary Laboratory, they begin by saying only 5-6% of the free-roaming
deer in Larimer County are infected. The current and accurate statistic is 15% infection. That northeastern area of Colorado is THE most
highly diseased area in all the state. A 5-6% rate may have been
the case in 1998 when the following study was done, but these
findings were published in the Spring 2000 issue and leads one
to believe conditions are much better than is the case. Infection
has changed drastically in the intervening two and a half years.
In the fall of 1998, A "geographically targeted" area of 22 ranches where cattle mixed with free-foaming deer was selected for the study. The study did not indicate specifically what area had been chosen or what was the rate of CWD for that location, if any. Ranchers submitted 262 heads which were tested for BSE. To qualify, cattle had to be at least four years old or have spent a minimum of four years in the herd. None showed any indication of CWD. They concluded, "evidence of transmission of CWD from deer to cattle under free-roaming conditions could not be demonstrated."20
Coincidentally, funding for this project was provided by the Colorado
Beef Board, the Colorado Cattlemen's Association (Floyd Cross
and Leonard Horn Foundations), and the CSU Research Foundation. Do you suppose there could be any conflict of interest?
CAN CWD BE TRANSMITTED TO PEOPLE?
The short answer yes, in test tubes, CWD has been shown to pass
from deer to people, but it is not an easy transmission. Sounds
pretty incredible doesn't it especially when millions of hunters
every year, and their families and friends, and people who eat the meat processed from hunters in restaurants
or purchased in grocery stores, may be munching CWD-infected meats
and sausages.
As of September 2002, the exact linkage is uncertain and still under investigation as a "cause for concern".
BURIED TIME BOMB
Even more disturbing is this medical abstract Evidence Of A Molecular Barrier Limiting Susceptibility Of Humans,
Cattle And Sheep To Chronic Wasting Disease researched and written by Raymond GJ, Bossers A, Raymond LD,
O'Rourke KI, McHolland LE, Bryant III PK, Miller MW, Williams
ES, Smits M, Caughey B., dated September 1, 2000.
If it sounds dry as dirt you're right, but bear with us for a
minute. This is another scientific paper showing there is no species barrier for CWD to humans. The data beg the question, "who would eat venison knowing the
risk of conversion was 20% as efficient as CJD (the human form
of mad cow) itself?" This article met with no fanfare, little
public recognition, and no commentary from medical journals.
Dr. Thomas Pringle makes this observation why the information
and scientists have been kept quiet: "one of the authors draws
100% of his salary from Colorado game tag sales, six are vulnerably
located in small western towns (finding new employment might be
rough), two at ag schools, three are USDA, one facility has an
isolation moat to mollify towns people, and eight have multiple
risk factors."21 A totally unbiased group, eh?
They have done their duty publishing the information, but obviously no
one is going to make this bombshell front page news.
 Dr. Pringle further states: "This paper is the best available
science on the risk of transmission of CWD to humans, which is
now no longer theoretical or questionnaire-based but experimental. If we regulate BSE, why not regulate CWD -- and scrapie for
that matter -- the same way? If a visitor to England for 6 months
cannot donate blood in the US and Canada, a hunter in NE Colorado
or SE Wyoming should not either. Do we encourage people to hunt
for meat in a herd of cows with 15% BSE? If scrapie is just as
bad as BSE, why is the meat still being sold into the human food
chain?
"US TSE policy is paralyzed by economic conflicts, fears that
past cover-ups of public health risks taken will unravel, and
worries over accountability and liability. After all, the scrapie-to-human risk was established two years ago but no policy changes were made -- only because it would wreak havoc in the sheep industry (there is no way to certify a flock as scrapie-free). People who
bought hunting tags last year based on widely publicized reassurances
that now have to be retracted (two of the authors) are going to
raise questions. Then there is the vexatious issue of transmission
of CWD to co-pastured cattle and problems this poses to the gigantic
US beef industry. In short, nothing will be done -- the US, like England, only digs
itself in deeper to put off the day of reckoning."22
ANOTHER CWD DEATH?
Released Wednesday in the Denver Rocky Mountain News was a story about a man who died Oct. 4, 2000, two days after
his 53rd birthday in Aurora, Colorado. In six months, Gary Hopkins
shrank from a healthy vibrant man into "a sack of bones" - just
like animals with chronic wasting disease.
His son, Pat, wonders if his father, who hunted avidly in the
Fort Collins area, died because he ate venison infected with CWD.
The article further stated that the US government has FINALLY
become concerned enough that "within the week, it's expected to
issue an opinion as to whether people are at risk if they eat
venison or take nutritional supplements made from antlers of deer
infected with CWD."23 Photo: © Dave Kenyon
PRINGLE PERSPECTIVE
Dr. Thomas Pringle is a biochemical geneticist for the Sperling
Biomedical Foundation in Eugene, Oregon which does environment-related
research. Dr. Pringle heads the section on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
(BSE), Chronic Wasting, Mad Cow and related issues. He also has
THE finest web site on TSEs with a collection of over 7,000 articles from scientific abstracts to up-to-the-minute newspaper items from around the world. I have spent countless hours over the past six weeks on his http://OrganicConsumers.org/madcow.htm site immersed in data and information. If you have questions to research on this issue, this is the first place to go.
Dr. Pringle believes the CWD first emerged in Fort Collins, Colorado
thirty years ago, when deer were penned with scrapie-infected
sheep. "I place the blame squarely on DOW for ever allowing scrapie
sheep to be closely quartered with wild game," Pringle says, "for
waiting fifteen years to autopsy facility animals suspected of
having scrapie, for releasing exposed animals back to the wild,
for shipping sick animals to game farms and zoos long after they
knew their incompetently managed facilities were contaminated,
and for years of inaction and denial over the extent of the epidemic."24 Does this ring any BSE bells?
Three Americans under age 30 who had Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
ate deer and elk meat when they were young. CJD has a long incubation
period, and young people rarely die of the disease, which can
start spontaneously.
The cases "suggest a possible relationship with CWD," but investigations
found "no strong evidence of a causal link" with the patients'
illnesses, Dr. Ermias Belay of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in Atlanta told the panel. "This does not totally
exonerate CWD from being a human pathogen."25
According to Dr. Pringle, he says "the best available science
shows that chronic wasting disease can infect human tissue but
wildlife officials are carrying on with 'business as usual'."
"Who'd want hamburger from a cow where 15 percent of the herd
had mad cow disease?" Dr. Pringle asked. "Who'd want mutton from
a sheep where 15 percent of the sheep had scrapie? To me it looks
like Russian roulette for hunters."26
If there's no problem of CWD transmitting to people nor a problem
of contracting a TSE through blood, why is the FDA considering
"banning blood from tens of thousand of hunters, including those
who took part in the fall 2000 hunting season"?
Pringle is worried that if the disease is found in humans, it
will be after years of spreading through the human community.
"It's like, 'Oh, what the hell. Nobody's died yet--so keep eating
the venison!"27
Dr. Pringle bluntly blames wildlife officials for protecting the
source of their income - the gaming license fees - and downplaying
the seriousness of CWD.
DOUGH, OH DEAR, A FEMALE DEER!
You really don't want to think dispensing accurate information
on CWD, BSE, CJD could in any way be influenced - not even remotely
- by $$. The inescapable truth is that gaming is BIG business,
big revenue for a number of states.
- The revenue graph shows hunting and fishing licenses for Colorado
for fiscal year '96-97. It would have been equally interesting
to view one for South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. However, their
wildlife departments are not as forthcoming with financial information.
The Division of Wildlife states "Wildlife is extremely important
to Colorado, accounting for well over $2 billion annually in economic
activity." 1999 is the department's latest available revenue information.
It does not break out fishing from gaming, but shows it accounted
for $81.5 million in FY 1998-99.
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COLORADO'S WILDLIFE '96-97 REVENUE
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HOW BIG IS BIG?
- To give you an idea just how lucrative gaming is, the following
graph shows the current licensing fees for some of the states
that have hunting. Granted, not all states enjoy an equal amount
of this sport or generate the same revenues, but it is one measure
of comparison.
Keep in mind, these revenues only cover one season. A "season"
generally indicates a short, specified time frame for a particular
year. Some states have variable rates which accounts for a high
and low fee given.
In 1996 - '97, these were the totals for Colorado deer and elk
licenses sold:
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Licenses
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- Resident deer licenses
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- Resident elk licenses
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- Nonresident deer licenses
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- Nonresident elk licenses
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Sales for
'96-97
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- $1.9 million
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- $3.8 million
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- $9.9 million
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- $27.1 million
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Approx. cost per each
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$20
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$30
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$270
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$450
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Approx. number sold
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1,000,000
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126,667
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36,667
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60,222
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Source: Colorado Department of Wildlife, http://wildlife.state.co.us/about/finances97.asp
If you (can find and) look at the annual fish and game financial
reports for each state above in the bar graph, plus all the other
states where there is hunting, revenues for this sport become
very significant. The $27.1 million in revenues were for deer
and elk licenses in Colorado only. Some states also hunt antelope,
big horn sheep, mountain goat, moose, black beer and mountain
lions. All but the last two are ruminants.
Each state has a vested interest to see potential panic over chronic
wasting disease squashed. A few states, Nebraska, Colorado, South
Dakota, New Mexico addressed CWD in a very unconcerned manner.
As far as we could tell, they had all used the same document for
their mini-FAQ on the subject and just substituted their own state's
name where needed. They all state that the problem is only in
Wyoming and Colorado and that the (absolutely minuscule) number of animals tested in their own state showed negative results
for CWD.
With a large numbers of hunters and animals hunted, the chances
of killing and consuming a diseased animal increase substantially
especially if the people are still unaware of CWDs, BSE and CJD.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. . .
In the past six weeks, we've read literally hundreds of documents
and articles reassuring the Australian, Canadian and American
public that not only do we not have a BSE problem, we will not. We've taken the proper safeguards. We've tested. We've never had a case of BSE
before . . . We're OK, aren't we? Hello? Hello? Is anybody buying this horse hockey?
These assurances have come through newspapers articles, scientific
abstracts, news mag interviews, and federal and state government
agencies.
They have promised our food and blood supplies are safe, that
TSEs generally can't jump specie, that CJD is not transmissible
by blood, but gradually, consistently, their steadfastness is
beginning to crack. Adamant denial is replaced by "maybe". "One
hundred percent safe" is replaced by "slight chance". "They" are
paving the way just in case they have to wear omelets instead of eat them.
If the government is 100% sure Mad Cow can't happen in our country,
why have they quietly put together this BSE Response Team?
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Click for a larger image
Download the BSE Response Team pdf file.
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The BSE Response Team (outlined in red above) is a 27 member emergency
group who will be flown in from around the country should an "event"
take place. Their meeting room? The "Situation Room" at APHIS
headquarters in Riverdale, Maryland. The BSE team is organized
under the USDA Office of Communications and USDA's secretary Dan
Glickman. From them, information filters through various channels
down to the BSE Response Team where they spring into action.
There is an entire set of procedures outlined in this file, should
a BSE bovine be found. Does this sound like they're sure we'll
never have poisoned food? It's something to think about. . .
Oops, hold the phone! Just in. Around 1200 cattle in Texas have been impounded for BSE checks. It was discovered their feed may have been mixed with MBM (meat
and bone meal) from US companies found in flagrant violation of
USDA regulations. Gary Weber of the National Cattlemen's Beef
Association said, "The current feel is that it wasn't a big deal,
just a normal process to see whether there needs to be a feed
recall."
Stan and I want to thank Vicki Nelson and the lady who wishes
to remain in the background for her copious amounts of information
sent and her own diligent research. Thanks everyone! Next week
is the last of this 4-part series where we'll examine the food
issue and how to keep free of BSE.
With affection,
Holly and Stan
Seismo and Taco
- Seismo: (with a furrowed brow and his usual astute powers of reckoning)... "y'know, Taco, this TSE-BSE-CWD stuff has me worried..."
Taco: "oh yah?.. How come?"
- Seismo: "Well, we've been eating all these meat products since we were born. No one warned us and a lotta humans knew about the risks."
Taco: "Gee, Sizie, you DO catch on quick doncha?"
Seismo: (with an exasperated look at her) "OK... ok... I have other redeeming qualities."
Taco: "Yah, I know. You have a nose that could track a free feed from 20 miles!"
Seismo: "Anyway,... insults aside, what else could they have done to solve this problem once it got started? I mean if they'd told everyone about the risks in the food chain officially, then the western nations who depend so heavily on beef and stuff would have run the risk of an overnight economic collapse. On the other hand if they said nothing, it'd only spread faster until they were consumed anyway."
Taco: "Why, Seismo! I just love it when you have these little bursts of logic."
Seismo: "Uhhh, thanks, I think.... Well, whaddya think?"
Taco: "I think they'd better find a solution quick-smart!"
- Stan and Holly Deyo
P.O. Box 7711, Pueblo West, CO 81007
http://millennium-ark.net/
© Text and Graphics, 2001 Stan and Holly Deyo, except where otherwise credited
Sources:
1Elk Get The Blame As US Is Hit By CJD Scare; By David Usborne
in New York; January 21, 2001; http://www.independent.co.uk/news/World/Americas/2001-01/uscjd210101.shtml
2Agriculture Meat production and Slaughterings; Livestock Products,
Australia (7215.0);
HTTP://WWW.ABS.GOV.AU/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/NT00002FA6
3Ministers Back BSE Tests As Sales Plummet; November 22, 2000;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=003662531325865&rtmo=
lvPwFFFt&atmo=tttttttd&pg=/et/00/11/22/wbif22.html
4 Summit considers BSE crackdown; December 4, 2000;
http://www.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/germany/12/04/bse.summit/index.html
5Letter From Brussels Fuels Panic Over BSE; January 16, 2000;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=003662531325865&rtmo
=aC4WquKJ&atmo=tttttttd&pg=/et/01/1/16/wbse16.html
6Health & Science: Mad Cow Crisis Could cCost EU $1 Billion; January 22, 2001; http://www.nandotimes.com/healthscience/story/0,1080,
500302325-500483600-503328371-0,00.html
7Mad Cow Scare Spreading Beyond Europe By Paul Casciato; December
1, 2000;
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20001130/sc/health_madcow_dc_15.html
8 EU Holding Mad Cow Meeting; December 3, 2000; http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20001203/aponline132949_000.htm
9Plain Truth From the Cattlerancher Who WonÍt Eat Meat; by Howard
Lyman with Glen Merzer; http://www.madcowboy.com/
10 Mad Deer Disease in Wisconsin?; Brian McCombie; Isthmus Newspaper
Madison, Wisconsin; July 13, 2000
11State-by-State Update on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD); January
25, 1999;
http://mad-cow.org/~tom/99feb_cwd_special.html#bbb
11.5 First Chronic Wasting Case Found in Minnesota; August 30, 2002; http://OrganicConsumers.org/madcow/MinnCWD83002.cfm
12 Mad Deer Disease Spreads To Wisconsin? - Infected Venison Can
Be Fatal; Brian MdCombie; Isthmus Newspaper Madison, Wisconsin;
July 13, 2000; http://www.purefood.org/meat/wisdeer.cfm
13Mad Deer Disease Spreads To Wisconsin? - Infected Venison Can
Be Fatal; Brian MdCombie; Isthmus Newspaper Madison, Wisconsin;
July 13, 2000; http://www.purefood.org/meat/wisdeer.cfm
14 Mad Deer Disease Spreads To Wisconsin? - Infected Venison Can
Be Fatal; Brian MdCombie; Isthmus Newspaper Madison, Wisconsin;
July 13, 2000; http://www.purefood.org/meat/wisdeer.cfm
15Ill Animals Spook Hunters; Jason Blevins; Denver Post; February
14, 1998; http://www.denverpost.com
16Mad All Over: This Family Of Killer Diseases Hits Close To Home;
By Juliet Wittman; November 12, 1998; Westword Denver http://.www.westword.com
17Mad Deer Disease Spreads in US--Hunters Are in Danger; October
31, 2000; New York Times
18Mad Deer Disease Spreads in US--Hunters Are in Danger; October
31, 2000; New York Times
19Mad Deer Disease Spreads in US--Hunters Are in Danger; October
31, 2000; New York Times
20 Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories;
Volume 4, Number 2 Spring 2000; Chronic Wasting Disease Update;
Dan Gould;
21Evidence Of A Molecular Barrier Limiting Susceptibility Of Humans,
Cattle And Sheep To Chronic Wasting Disease; Raymond GJ, Bossers
A, Raymond LD, O'Rourke KI, McHolland LE, Bryant III PK, Miller
MW, Williams ES, Smits M, Caughey B. EMBO J. 2000 Sep 1;19(17):4425-4430;
http://www.mad-cow.org/00/sep00_sci_news.html#bbb
22Fatal 'Mad' Diseases Have Scientists Scrambling For Answers; January 23, 2001; http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/health_and_fitness/article/1,
1299,DRMN_26_7082,00.html
23 Mad All Over: This Family Of Killer Diseases Hits Close To
Home; By Juliet Wittman; November 12, 1998; Westword Denver http://.www.westword.com
24US Admits To Mad Sheep, Deer, And Elk But Claims Nary A Case
Of Mad Cow... By Lucrezia Cuen; January 17, 2001; http://www.abcnews.com
25Mad Deer Disease Spreads in US--Hunters Are in Danger; October
31, 2000; New York Times
26Mad Deer Disease in Wisconsin?; Brian McCombie; Isthmus Newspaper
Madison, Wisconsin; July 13, 2000
27 Stringent Steps Taken by U.S. on Cow Illness; January 14, 2001;
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/14/health/14COW.html?pagewanted=all
U.S. Commodity Rankings Livestock Data - Based on Inventory; January
1, 1998;
http://www.usda.gov/nass/pubs/ranking/lvstkrnk.htm MAP
Official USDA Estimate Of BSE In Downer Cows; May 18, 1999;
http://www.mad-cow.org/usda_downers.html#aaa
Deer Population Exploding Across the USA USA TODAY; December 22,
2000 http://www.usatoday.com/news/ndsthu10.htm
McDonald's Profits Drop 7 Percent; January 24, 2001;http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20010124/aponline130536_000.htm
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