Qualitative Risk Assessment for the Introduction of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Through Importation of Live Cattle and Animal Products into the United States Using an Adjacent Region/Country as an Example. D. Nganwa, T. Habtemariam, S. Elamin, D. Oryang, B. Tameru, H. Abdelrahman, A. Ahmed, A. Ayanwale, and V. Robnett, Tuskegee University
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) widely referred to as " Mad Cow Disease’’ is a chronic degenerative neurological disease of cattle which has resulted in the loss of over 175,000 cattle since 1986 in UK, where it was first diagnosed. Epidemiological data suggests that BSE in UK may have been caused by feeding cattle rendered feed prepared from Scrapie-infected sheep. The appearance of the new variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (vCJD) in humans has been linked to the exposure of the etiologic agent of BSE through consumption of contaminated beef. The disease has claimed more than 86 victims worldwide. Uptodate there has been no reported case of BSE in USA. Risk analysis has become an essential tool in the identification and the assessment of the hazards encountered in importation of various commodities. During the World Trade Organization meetings in 1996, the concept of regionalization was developed and adopted for use in world trade. This study used the guidelines set forth by the USDA/APHIS, to assess the risk of importation of Animals and their byproducts. The study assesses the eleven regional risk factors which are considered for qualitative risk assessment from an importing country or region. The factors will help determine the qualitative risk assessment for the introduction of BSE through importation of live cattle and animal products into the United States. The study will use an adjacent country to the USA as an example of how these eleven regional risk factors are assesed. The decision to permit imports from a region will not be based solely on the characterization or status of the region but rather on a risk assessment addressing the risks of the specific commodity proposed for export from the region.
United States Department of Agricalture (USDA).
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