Tag: Cows

New vCJD Data, Projections Released in the UK

Lets take a look at where the United Kingdom is in its vCJD breakout, usually ascribed to the transmission of Mad Cow Disease.

In 2004, the number of people who died from vCJD continued to decline. A total of 9 people died from vCJD in 2004, compared to 18 deaths in 2003.

So far, a total of 148 people have died from vCJD and there are currently 5 people alive who are believed to be suffering from vCJD.

How many more people are likely to die from vCJD? An Imperial College London study released in January suggests that about 70 more people in Great Britain will become ill with vCJD.

Thousands of people likely harbor the defective prions, but for a variety of reasons will never exhibit symptoms of the disease in their lifetimes. Only about 40 percent of the British population has the specific genetic makeup that makes them susceptible to the disease. Moreover even in those susceptible to the disease, for most the incubation period will last longer than their lifespan.

Sources:

UK Department of Health, Monthly Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Statistics, Press Release 2005/0009, January 10, 2005.

Thousands of Britons may carry vCJD. James Reynolds, The Scotsman, January 12, 2005.

California Court Dismisses PETA’s “Happy Cows” Lawsuit

The last time we heard about People for the Ethical Treatment’s lawsuit against the California Milk Producer Advisory Board over that organizations “Happy Cows” advertising campaign, San Francisco Superior Court Judge David Garcia had dismissed the case. Garcia narrowly ruled that the advisory board was protected by sovereign immunity from such lawsuits.

PETA, you might remember, claims that California cows really are not happy, and that claiming they are in ads violates California’s state truth-in-advertising laws.

But PETA insisted on appealing Garcia’s ruling, and this month a Court of Appeal Panel in San Francisco agreed with Garcia, citing precedents including lawsuits dismissed against a University of California Hospital and the state’s Lottery Commission in dismissing the lawsuit.

Instead of filing a lawsuit, the court ruled that PETA has to file a complaint with the state director of Food and Agriculture who is empowered to decide whether or not to hold a hearing about the matter and whether the issue can be forwarded to a district attorney or state attorney general for prosecution.

No word yet on whether PETA will appeal the latest ruling, but don’t be surprised if they do.

Source:

Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, January 12, 2005.

PETA's "Happy Cows" Lawsuit Trudges on

In April 2003, California Superior Court Judge David Garcia dismissed a lawsuit brought by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals against the California Milk Advisory Board. Judges in California’s First District Court of Appeal heard PETA’s appeal of that decision this week.

The California Milk Advisory Board has produced an ad campaign that emphasizes how happy cows in California are. PETA maintains that California cows are, in fact, unhappy and that the ad campaign constitutes false advertising.

Superior Court Judge Garcia dismissed the lawsuit based on narrow grounds of sovereign immunity — essentially, the lawsuit is beside the point since the state of California is exempt from its own laws.

According to New York Lawyer, the arguments before the appeals court centered on whether or not the false advertising law can be applied to the quasi-governmental milk advisory board.

Source:

PETA Suit Says Cows Are Unhappy. New York Lawyer, November 17, 2004.

PETA Takes “Happy Cows” Lawsuit to Higher Court. Press Release, PETA, Undated.

Animal Rights Groups Try to Stop Beef Bet

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry and Texas Governor Rick Perry have been making friendly wagers over the outcome of the annual OU-Texas football game for the past few years. This year, however, Henry’s plan to bet a side of beef was met with complaints from animal rights activists who suggested that the governors should bet vegetarian fare rather than beef.

Vegetarians of Oklahoma and the Vegetarian Network of Austin, Texas, issued a joint statement asking the governors “to modify the annual wager between them regarding the outcome of OU-Texas football game so that the losing side of the wager provide to the victors a meal of State-grown organic produce and grains.”

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals could not resist getting in on the publicity, of course, and Bruce Friedrich told the Oklahoman, “Betting a side of beef is the wrong move in every way.”

Oklahoma ended up beating Texas 12-0, so Perry will be sending along a side of beef to Oklahoma for the second year in a row.

Sources:

Governors bet beef on OU-Texas game. Associated Press, October 6, 2004.

Governor to bet beef despite protests. Associated Press, October 6, 2004.

Governors urged not to bet beef. The Oklahoman, October 6, 2004.

Red River groundout. Sports Illustrated, October 9, 2004.

Researchers Map Cattle Genome

Researchers this month announced they had completed work on the initial draft of the genome for the Hereford breed of cattle.

Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine’s Human Genome Sequencing Center in Houston, Texas, began the process of sequencing the cattle genome in December 2003 as part of a $53 million international effort to sequence the genomes of several breeds of cattle. Other teams of researchers will provide more detailed information about specific cattle genes to supplement Baylor’s initial draft.

The National Human Genome Research Institute, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state of Texas together put up $46 million of the project, with the rest coming from various U.S. and international organizations.

This first draft of the cattle genome will be available free to researchers worldwide. In a statement accompanying the announcement that the cattle genome sequencing had been completed, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said,

The bovine genome sequence will serve as a tool for agricultural researchers striving to improve health and disease management of cattle and enhance the nutritional value of beef and dairy products.

Sources:

Scientists create genetic map of cattle. H. Josef Hebert, Associated Press, October 6, 2004.

Bovine genome assembled. Press Release, National Institutes of Health, October 6, 2004.

Meat Eating Continues to Grow

You probably missed it, but Farm USA’s World Farm Animals Day was October 2. Ahead of the WFAD, Farm USA released a report confirming the obvious — despite all the efforts of animal rights activists, meat consumption in the United States continues to grow far faster than population.

Farm USA extrapolated from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service data to estimate that in 2004 the number of animals (not including aquatic animals) killed for food in the United States rose 2.5 percent to 10.2 billion. The vast majority of those animals — 9.39 billion — are broiler chickens.

According to Farm USA,

The rise in the animal death toll is double the annual U.S. population increase (currently 294.3 million) and reflects the continuing trend of switching from cow meat to chicken meat (a cow yields 200 times the amount of flesh in a chicken). In more personal terms, the average American is directly responsible for the abuse and death of 2,485 chickens, 78 turkeys and ducks, 33 pigs, and 11 cows and sheep during a 75-year life span.

Hmm….makes my mouth water.

Farm USA posted a number of pictures from World Farm Animal Day demonstrations around the world, and I think the winner had to be this one,

That’s Dan Holbert of Florida-based Body of Animal Rights Campaigners (BARC, get it?) Way to go, Dan. As I always say, a pig is a rat is a caged animal rights activist.

Sources:

World Farm Animals Day 2004 Preliminary Report. Farm USA, October 2004.

Death toll continues to rise. Press Release, Farm USA, September 25, 2004.