June 28, 2004

Japan Awaits Second BSE Results In America
 

Japan's agricultural policymakers and experts remained cool-headed Saturday after the United States Department of Agriculture announced the detection of a suspected second case of mad cow disease in America.

If the cow is confirmed positive, it is set to influence governmental talks between Japan and the U.S. that kick off Monday in the state of Colorado.

Japan and the U.S. are scheduled to discuss Tokyo's lifting of a beef ban from America, which was imposed after the first case of mad cow disease, or bovine sponjiform encepalopathy (BSE), was found in a Canadian-born cow in America in December.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture official said Friday that final results on the suspected case will be obtained in four to seven days. Samples of the suspected cow have been sent to a laboratory in the state of Iowa.

"I wouldn't be surprised if this second case is confirmed," said Kazuya Yamanouchi, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo who will take part in the U.S.-Japan beef talks. "Results take only a day and a half to come in if they are conducted in Japan. As far as the testing system (of BSE) is concerned, the U.S. still has some work to do."

Yamanouchi added that he will ask U.S. officials about safety measures and testing systems during the talks.

A top official of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries also said that he was not shocked by the news of the second suspected case of BSE, adding that Japanese experts will ask Washington to provide more information during the talks.

After the first BSE case was detected, Japan asked the U.S. to test every cow, but Washington rejected the proposal. Instead, the Department of Agriculture extended the number of cows undergoing inspections to some 220,000. The latest case was detected during the BSE inspection process.