Genetic link to mad cow found at Kansas State University
We are adding Rick Plumlee at The Wichita Eagle to our list to our list to check out on the weekends. For some reason, some of the best stories relating to food safety and agriculture are held for weekend publication. This one ran Saturday.:
Researchers have discovered that genetic mutation may sometimes cause mad cow disease, raising hopes that breeders will be able to use the information to eliminate one avenue for the disease.
The findings were announced Friday by Kansas State University, where one of the researchers, Juergen Richt, joined its veterinary medicine faculty this summer.
"We now know (mad cow disease is) also in the genes of cattle," Richt said. "Genetic BSE we can combat."
Until several years ago, Richt said it was thought that mad cow disease -- bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE -- was strictly a foodborne disease. But the new findings show the disease is also caused by a genetic mutation within the prion protein gene.
For the rest of the story, go here.
