


A chronological look at mad cow disease





Date Published to Web: 12/26/2003




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1985


Bovine Spongiform Encephalophathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, is first observed in the 
United Kingdom
 (
Great Britain
). The first related case of BSE occurred in February 1985. "Cow 133" died after suffering head tremors.


November 1986


The first confirmed case of BSE is identified in the 
United Kingdom
.


July 1998


Government officials ban the inclusion of meat and bone from ruminant (grazing) animals into cattle feed. Ruminant animals are believed to carry the prions that cause BSE.


July 1989


The United States Department of Agriculture bans the importation of ruminant animals from countries with confirmed BSE cases.


May 1990


United Kingdom
 scientist Professor Richard Lacey calls for the slaughter of all BSE infected herds in the 
United Kingdom
. During the same period, the British agricultural minister declares that all beef products are completely safe to eat, even appearing on television in a commercial with his 4-year-old daughter eating a hamburger. 



June 1990


Out of 10 million cattle in 
Great Britain
, more than 14,000 are confirmed to have BSE.


December 1991


United States Department of Agriculture bans at-risk by products of ruminant origin from countries with BSE.


1993


The United States Mad Cow Disease Surveillance Program expands to include examination of brain tissue from downed cows.


January 1993


The BSE epidemic reaches epic proportions in the 
United Kingdom
. Mad cow disease at its peak during this period reached 1,000 new cases each week. 
United Kingdom
 officials brought that figure down to about 300 reported BSE cases by 1996.


1986-1996
More


than 155,000 cases of BSE are identified in the 
United Kingdom
. The disease in the 
United Kingdom
 peaks between 1992-93 with a reported 100,000 confirmed cases.


May 21, 1995


Stephen Churchill, 19, is the first known human death from BSE. Three more 
United Kingdom
 residents die that year from the disease.
 


March 20, 1996


British government officials confirm the suspicion of many scientists, announcing a link between BSE and the Cruetzfeldt-Jacob disease, which is a human form of BSE.


Aug. 4, 1997


The United States Food and Drug Administration establishes regulations prohibiting the feeding of most mammalian proteins to ruminants.


February 2000


A mother carrying the Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease gives birth to a daughter in the 
United Kingdom
, who also tests positive for the disease.


July 2000


United States
 officials declare an emergency situation after four sheep in 
Vermont
 tested positive for BSE related symptoms. The cause of the outbreak was eventually traced back to feed purchased from 
Belgium
.


Nov. 23, 2000


The first case of BSE is confirmed in 
Spain
.


Nov. 24, 2000


The first reported case of BSE is confirmed in 
Germany
 after the birth of two calves.


1993


BSE invades 
Canada
. The first reported case of mad cow disease in 
Canada
 occurred in 
Red Deer
, 
Alberta
. The cow was imported from 
Great Britain
 in 1987.

December 2002


United States government officials test tissue from a Mabton Holstein dairy cow and an Alderwood cow in Iowa after the downed animals are identified with potentially having BSE at a rendering plant. The tissue is tested for mad cow disease. The results of the tissue test sampling in Iowa prompts the samples to be sent to the United Kingdom for BSE confirmation.

Dec. 25, 2002


A British laboratory confirms that the Mabton Holstein suspected of contracting BSE is infected with the deadly disease.



Oct. 29, 2003


A 21-month-old bull is killed in Japan after testing positive for BSE. It is the ninth cow killed in Japan since the illness was discovered in 2001.





















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