Consumers Union says Suspected USA Mad Cow Should be Retested

Consumers Union Asks Feds to Retest Suspect Mad Cow After Crucial Test
Omitted; USDA Urged to Follow Intl Recognized Procedures

2/24/2005 8:49:00 AM

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To: National Desk, Health and Environment Reporter

Contact: Michael Hansen, 914-378-2452 or Jean Halloran, 914-378-2457,
both of Consumers Union,

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Consumers Union, publisher of
Consumer Reports, today asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to
retest a cow suspected in November 2004 of having mad cow disease, using
a critical, internationally recognized test that the agency failed to
use. The test, called the "Western blot," is used by authorities in
Japan and Europe when making a final determination as to whether a
suspect cow has the fatal brain-wasting affliction, which can be passed
on to humans.

A Consumers Union delegation met earlier this month with USDA officials
and today issued a letter to USDA Secretary Mike Johanns (
http://www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/Dear_Secretary_Johanns.pdf
<http://releases.usnewswire.com/redir.asp?ReleaseID=43493&Link=http://ww
w.consumersunion.org/campaigns/Dear_Secretary_Johanns.pdf> ) urging the
agency to revise its testing methods. CU is asking the agency to retest
the November cow using the Western blot and to send samples from the cow
to the United Kingdom for an independent evaluation.

"Given the potential consequences to both public health and the cattle
industry if this brain-wasting disease were to become established here,
it is extremely important that every scientifically justifiable step be
taken to prevent it," said the letter signed by Michael Hansen, PhD., a
biologist with Consumers Union and spokesperson for its
http://www.NotinMyFood.org
<http://releases.usnewswire.com/redir.asp?ReleaseID=43493&Link=http://ww
w.NotinMyFood.org> campaign and Jean Halloran, director of CU's
Consumer Policy Institute.

The USDA limited its confirmatory testing in November 2004 to the
immunohistochemistry (IHC) test, which it describes as the "gold
standard." The result of the IHC test was negative. USDA did not perform
the Western blot test, even though it had previously used both IHC and
the Western blot test in confirming the first U.S. case of mad cow
disease, from Washington State in December, 2003. The USDA also sent
material from the 2003 Washington State cow to the United Kingdom for
further review of its results.

Scientists in Japan and Belgium have reported that suspect cows may be
negative on the IHC and still register as positive on the Western blot.
Such cows are universally regarded as infected.

The IHC test is more subjective than the Western blot test, relying on
the judgment of a skilled scientist is assessing the appearance of thin
slices of brain material under a microscope," Hansen said. "The Western
blot test is more objective, with results that can be read by any
technician." In the U.S., the IHC test is performed by a USDA scientist
at a USDA laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

The cow USDA assessed in November 2004 had come up as "suspect" for mad
cow disease in two runs of the Biorad "quick test." The Biorad test has
been used to screen over 200,000 cows for mad cow disease since USDA
began a new testing initiative in July 2004. However, all international
authorities agree that the Biorad screening test can give a false
positive result. Thus it must be confirmed by other tests. CU urges USDA
to use both Western blot and IHC for confirmation.

"The USDA should operate out of an "abundance of caution" in its efforts
to keep the U.S. food supply safe from (mad cow disease)," the letter to
Johanns stated. The experience of the United Kingdom, where millions of
cattle have been destroyed, beef exports blocked for many years and 147
people have died, painfully demonstrates the consequences of
insufficient action to prevent the spread of mad cow disease."

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Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, is an independent,
nonprofit testing and information organization serving only the
consumer. Consumers Union is a comprehensive source of unbiased advice
about products and services, personal finance, health nutrition, and
other consumer concerns. Since 1936, Consumers Union's mission has been
to test products, inform the public, and protect consumers.

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