Mad Cow Disease Confirmed In California 274
New submitter wave9x writes "The United States Department of Agriculture confirmed today that the nation's fourth case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, sometimes referred to as 'mad cow disease' was found in a dairy cow in California. The animal has been euthanized and the carcass is being being held under State authority at a rendering facility in California and will be destroyed."
Re:Whew... (Score:4, Insightful)
Cods Whallap! (Score:5, Insightful)
So we only have an estimated population of around 7 billion people, yet as of November 2006 there were 200 individuals worldwide diagnosed with mad cow disease, including 164 people in the United Kingdom, 21 in France, 4 in the Republic of Ireland, the 3 in the US, 2 in the Netherlands, and 1 each in Canada, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, and Spain, according to the CDC. Of these individuals, most (170) had lived in the UK for over 6 months during the years 1980-1996; 20 others had lived in France during that time. [taken from: http://rarediseases.about.com/od/rarediseases1/a/vcjd.htm [about.com] ]
So using CDC math we should only have a 0.7 reported cases........
Re:American Culture (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe because the irrational fear that surrounds something with a transmission rate of 1 out of millions can affect the market far more so than actual health of the population at large. If this tells us anything at all (which I doubt) it would be something about the emotional factor in futures trading.
Re:Cods Whallap! (Score:4, Insightful)
How often did they eat contaminated meat?
Re:Cods Whallap! (Score:5, Insightful)
No, using improperly-applied statistics we have 0.7 cases.
Now consider that the CDC statistic likely refers to the per-exposure chance. 200 people worldwide with the disease, a one in 10 billion is about 2 trillion exposures, which works out to about only needing 285 exposures per person since 1980. I've personally been exposed to risky meat more than that.
I am not an epidemiologist, though, and I'd wager that your and GP aren't, either.
Re:Whew... (Score:5, Insightful)
obviously they have tested 10 billion people
Re:American Culture (Score:5, Insightful)
As markets shut their doors to US beef, the disease is far more likely to affect your 401k than your brain.
Re:American Culture (Score:2, Insightful)
You twits who keep sneering at people with "irrational fear" seem to think nothing should be done about an incident that could be the start of an epidemic if not dealt with promptly, or a massive disaster that could poison an enormous amount of populated land for generations.
Whether it's nuclear power in the hands of amoral incompetent business types or deadly diseases, you idiots believe you're experts and know better than the actual experts. Well, you don't, so why don't you just shut up and appreciate those who make tangible contributions to keeping you safe.
Re:Dang (Score:5, Insightful)
How long before I go completely vegetarian?
Enjoy dying horribly from contaminated spinach, tomatoes, lettuce, et cetera.
If eating is going to kill me, I choose to die by the steak.
Re:American Culture (Score:5, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:American Culture (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:In California ?!?! (Score:5, Insightful)
I have no mod points but I feel you should be modded insightful and not as funny. It's too sadly, tragically true to be funny.
Re:American Culture (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually the odds of being killed by flu was enormously lower in 1917 than in 1918: "The unusually severe disease killed up to 20% of those infected, as opposed to the usual flu epidemic mortality rate of 0.1%" [Wikipedia]. If you were in the 20-40 age range the spike was even larger.
That's why brain-fitted humans are slightly more nervous about infectious diseases than shower slipping: unless the "One Lamborghini Per Child" program is implemented, illnesses have a far greater potential of quickly changing their odds of terminating your life than the other causes of death you cited.
Re:American Culture (Score:5, Insightful)
Sorry, but after the ride you guys gave other countries after outbreaks of BSE, you deserve it this time.