December 24, 2003 - A single Holstein on a Washington state farm has tested positive for mad cow disease, marking the disease's first suspected appearance in the United States, the Bush administration announced Tuesday as it assured Americans their food is safe. Story from AP/Yahoo. (link is no longer available)

Here is the Yahoo News Center for mad cow disease.

Here is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) information page for BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, known as Mad Cow Disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, CJD).

September 25, 2003 - A ground-breaking treatment for Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) has shown promise as a treatment that could delay the deterioration of patients, significantly extending their lives. Here is an article from the BBC News.

August 10, 2002 - The first case of "mad cow" disease (vCJD) in a human in North America has been reported in Canada. All evidence points to the patient having acquired the disease in the United Kingdom. Story from Reuters/Yahoo.(link is no longer available)

June 17, 2002 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a draft guidance document on the prevention of transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD - also known as "mad cow" disease).

Here is the "Draft Guidance for Industry: Preventive Measures to Reduce the Possible Risk of Transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) by Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/Ps)" - pdf format (23 page document)

June 4, 2002 - The Food and Drug Administration on May 31 joined the ranks of the American Red Cross and began barring blood donors who spent time in Europe. Story from AHA News.

August 29, 2001 - Concerns about "mad cow" disease being introduced into the U.S. by way of blood donors that have recently lived in Europe has led to severe blood supply shortages for U.S. hospitals. Here are several blood supply-related articles:

"Brother, Can You Spare a Pint of Blood?" - news story from HealthScout/Yahoo.(web link is no longer available)

"HHS Launches Expanded Plan To Combat "Mad Cow Disease" - press release from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"FDA Issues Draft Guidance to Further Reduce the Possible Risk of Transmission of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) by Blood and Blood Products" - press release from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The new FDA restrictions, outlined in a just-released 26-page draft document (pdf format), give blood centers until May 2002 to implement a ban on donations from travelers who spent a total of three months or more in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996, the period of time considered by most mad cow disease experts to be the height of the epidemic among cattle in that country. Here is a press release supporting the FDA policy from the America's Blood Centers web site. Story from AP/Yahoo. (link is no longer available)

"American Red Cross Addresses the Human Form of Mad Cow Disease" - information page from the American Red Cross web site.

Here is the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) information page from the FDA.

"Blood from a stone: New HHS blood-tracking system draws yawns from nation's hospitals" - article from Modern Healthcare. Story from AP/Yahoo. (link is no longer available)

Full Health News Coverage on Mad Cow Disease - from Yahoo.

July 2, 2001 - FDA Panel Takes Middle Ground in Blood Donor Deferral Policy - article from the AHA (American Hospital Association).


[This message has been edited by Gary Peterson (edited 01-25-2004).]