Scientists ring a new alarm of "mad cow disease" (9.4)

According to researchers in London, different kinds of livestock may be the recessive carriers of BSE, a fatal disease So far, scientists have focused on cattle in their fight against a condition that stealthily destroys their victims' heads However, government advisers have now suggested that healthy people and animals - from cattle to pigs alike - may be carriers, although they have no symptoms of infection "Although they may not have any symptoms, no matter how long they live, they may also be carriers at a high level, so they are at risk," said Professor John colinge, the leader of the team that found the results His research caused panic because infectious diseases could be hidden on farms and spread unchecked Experiments with laboratory mice and hamsters have shown that pigs, poultry and sheep may be at risk of cow related diseases, and apparently healthy cattle can also become carriers, colinge's team said in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences A spokesman for the Ministry of agriculture told Reuters that the government had asked scientific advisers to examine the results of the new study carefully at a meeting on September 29, adding: "we will formulate policies based on the latest scientific information provided, but our advisers said that it is not clear whether there is a need to strengthen control." Although more than 178500 cases of BSE have been reported in the UK, fewer than 100 people have died from the disease However, the disease has raised public concerns about food safety and how the government tries to balance the interests of consumers and farmers Colinge said many animals, such as sheep, pigs and poultry, can be infected with BSE through contaminated feed, meaning they may also be newly discovered recessive carriers He says there are enough ways to protect people against mad cow disease, but the impact of the latest findings must be examined carefully Control methods include banning the feeding of older cattle to humans, and banning the feeding of some cattle and sheep to humans China feed industry information network YDK (author:)