Mad Cow Disease

The country’s third confirmed case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, better known as “Mad Cow Disease,” was discovered on March 10, 2006, in a cow located on a farm in Alabama. When discussing this latest case of mad cow disease with a concerned public, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) John Clifford announced in the same breath that the agency intends to scale back testing for the brain-wasting disorder from 1000 to about 110 daily. The lower testing levels haven't been finalized, “but the department’s budget proposal calls for 40,000 tests annually,” about one-tenth of the current testing level.