By Ruth Kava, Ph.D., R.D.
Posted: Tuesday, August 9, 2005

LETTER
Publication Date: August 9, 2005

The following letter appeared in the July 28, 2005 Wall Street Journal:

It's true that the first case of mad-cow disease (BSE) was detected in the 1980s, as noted in your July 18 editorial "The Madness of Herds." But such diseases have been seen in the United States since the late 1960s -- though not in cows -- without the cause being understood. Veterinarians and others familiar with wildlife have heard about so-called "chronic wasting disease," or CWD, in mule deer, elk, and other related species since that time.

It's highly likely that CWD arose spontaneously in these species, and we should consider the possibility that the BSE seen in two American cows also arose spontaneously -- not as a result of malfeasance by either Canadian or U.S. producers. 

Ruth Kava, Ph.D., R.D.
Director of Nutrition
American Council on Science and Health
New York