Human remains in cattle feed may have caused mad cow epidemic

[norml]

Human remains in cattle feed may have caused mad cow epidemic
By Nic Fleming, Science Correspondent
(Filed: 02/09/2005)

The mad cow disease epidemic could have been caused by the feeding of material containing human remains to cattle, a scientist claimed yesterday.

Alan Colchester, a professor of neurology at the University of Kent, said the most likely origin of BSE and the subsequent deaths from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was the import from the Indian subcontinent of bone meal containing infected human remains.


The original cause of the 1986 BSE crisis has remained unknown
Since the first case of BSE was reported in Britain in 1986, the original cause has remained unknown.

The most widely favoured candidate has been the transmission of sheep scrapie, a fatal degenerative disease that affects the nerve system, to cattle through feed.


snip


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/09/02/nbse02.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/09/02/ixportal.html

[Maple]

1. So humans gave it to cattle

instead of the other way around.

[jsamuel]

2. We are feeding Cows PEOPLE?!

[VegasWolf]

3. not people! mammalian protein! nt

[norml]

4. Are we not food?

What is the law?

[VegasWolf]

8. Sure we're food. We are tasty little mammals I guess. I'm not sure

what India's laws are regarding the disposal of dead human beings.

[meow2u3]

15. Tigers also eat humans

Maybe we have a few meals for Tigger. Hint: their first names are Tom, Rick, Pat, George, Richard, to name a few. :evilgrin:

[VegasWolf]

16. So do worms! One's name is Bush! nt

[norml]

17. Memorable Quotes from Island of Lost Souls (1933)

Memorable Quotes from
Island of Lost Souls (1933)

Dr. Moreau: What is the law?
Sayer of the Law: Not to eat meat, that is the law. Are we not men?
Beasts (in unison): Are we not men?
Dr. Moreau: What is the law?
Sayer of the Law: Not to go on all fours, that is the law. Are we not men?
Beasts (in unison): Are we not men?
Dr. Moreau: What is the law?
Sayer of the Law: Not to spill blood, that is the law. Are we not men?
Beasts (in unison): Are we not men?

[VegasWolf]

20. Ah! I had not had the fortunate pleasure to read that book! Thanks! nt

[daleo]

22. Are we not men? No, we are Devo.

Another memorable quote.

[norml]

24. We are food.

That is the law.

[iamjoy]

25. Soylent Green

that's what they are feeding cows.

[Blue_Tires]

29. subsequently, it's what they are feeding US! n/t

[belle]

30. !!!!!!!

[LevelB]

5. Mmmmmmmm....

Soylent Green is made from people??!?!?!

B.

[rodeodance]

7. human remains being sold to processing mills.......

"Further investigations are needed into the sources of animal by-products used in animal feed manufacture, and into the transmittability of human TSEs to cattle." Britain imported substantial quantities of whole bones, crushed bones and carcass parts for use in the manufacture of fertilisers and animal feed during the 1960s and 1970s, with about half coming from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

Hindus believe that it is essential for their remains to be disposed of in a river, preferably the Ganges, and, while the ideal is for bodies to be burnt, often corpses are thrown in whole.

The collection of bones and carcasses has long been an important trade for peasants in India and Pakistan.

Media and eyewitness reports have described human remains being sold to processing mills along with animal material....

[VegasWolf]

9. Protein is protein!!! It's the little viruses, prions, and bacteria

mixed in with all that protein that is problematic.

[goforit]

6. This is unbelievable.

[FourStarDemocrat]

10. You can say that again! shocking...

I also want to know why the article refers to Mad Cow disease as an "epidemic". Outside of that outbreak in Britain and France I was unde the impression that it is rather rare and has been contained (at lest as far as we know--but there exists a threat of it becoming an epidemic if we do not completely clean up our slaughterhouse processing practices. Am I wrong about this?

[Richard Steele]

26. Yep, as many as 20% of people officially diagnosed with "Alzheimers"....

...may actually have a form of it.

[Kali]

28. CREDIBLE references, please.

[CHIMO]

11. A Bit More

Scientists link BSE to human remains fed to cows

"In India and Pakistan, gathering large bones and carcasses from the land and from rivers has long been an important local trade for peasants," they pointed out.

"Collectors encounter considerable quantities of human as well as animal remains as a result of religious customs."

"In general, they're animal carcasses. But human remains find their way into these rendering batches."

The authors of the paper noted that in 2004 a group of volunteers working to reduce pollution in the Ganges retrieved 60 human corpses from its waters in two days over a 10-kilometre stretch of the river.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1125611420356&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home&DPL=IvsNDS%2f7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes
(Free registration required.)

[flvegan]

12. Still eating meat?

Just asking...

[Ekirh]

23. Only

Until I move out of my grandparent's (Which I don't know when that'll be). When that happens I'm going to finally attempt to go vegetarian . . been wanting to for a bit . . . just needed more and more nudges of encouragement. .. and those nudges have been becoming pushes and shoves.

[ecoalex]

13. Soylant Green Xactly

[VegasWolf]

14. Heard that the capitalistic Republicans are gearing up for a BIG

shipment to India soon.

[PurgedVoter]

19. Ouch! VegasWolf, Ouch! nt

[VegasWolf]

21. I'm sorry. I tried to stop my fingers from typing and I utterly failed. nt

[lonestarnot]

31. Yikes the cheapest funeral money can buy...a cow plop dissemination.

[NorthernSpy]

18. so eating beef is cannibalism, once removed...

Beef is people.

:think:

[Kali]

27. fascinating

and makes a lot of sense.

FYI Lots of animals chew on bones, so while pretty disgusting to think of feedlots intentionally feeding carcasses to cattle, fact is they will pick up and eat that kind of thing on their own - as will deer and I expect antelopes and other ruminants.