USDA Orders Slaughter Of Washington Cows

by Sherry Morse

In mid-January the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that they would soon order the killing on a Mattawa, Washington farm of three cows who came from the same Alberta, Canada herd as the Holstein found to be infected with mad cow disease in December.

The department had already begun to slaughter 120 cows who came from the Mabton, Washington farm that was the infected cow's last home, as well as nine other cows who came from her Canadian herd.

The cows are being killed at a previously unused facility in the eastern portion of the state to prevent contamination of any other meat.

So far a total of 581 animals have been designated for slaughter, including a herd of 449 bull calves which included offspring of the infected cow.

Meat from the slaughtered animals will not be sold for human or animal consumption, according to USDA officials.

A farm in Quincy, Washington is under quarantine because seven cows there are suspected to have come from the Alberta herd. Officials said the quarantine would be lifted if the animals were found to no longer be on the property.

80 cows entered the United States along with the infected Holstein in 2001. USDA officials said they have 'solid leads' on the cows they have not already found and sent to slaughter.

Officials are also still working to verify information from the Canadian government that another 17 cows who had contact with the Holstein may have entered the United States at a later date.

The USDA is attempting to track down all the cows who were kept with the infected Holstein because the most likely source of the mad cow infection is the animal-feed which all of the cows would have eaten, not just the cow who was found to be infected.

The USDA lab in Ames, Iowa is currently being upgraded to help the animal health system respond to animal disease outbreaks and possible acts of bioterrorism more quickly.

© 2004 Animal News Center, Inc.