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In this study, Canadian household meat consumption behavior in exotic (deer and elk meat) and traditional meats (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, bison, and seafood) is examined. This research introduces some differences in public response to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) risks across consumer segments from different sources of meat supply, including hunted meat. The analysis uses a combination of survey and household meat purchase data that include a balanced household panel of 2,393 households per year across time. A two‐step estimation procedure is used with a probit model in the first step (consume or not) and a doublelog–translog two‐stage demand system in the second step (level of consumption). It is assumed and tested that household sociodemographics, consumers' risk perceptions/attitudes, and media coverage of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and chronic wasting disease (CWD) are underlying demand shifters in consumers' daily meat purchase decision. The results suggest that households who obtain venison from hunting show the highest confidence in venison safety. Exotic meat preferences negatively affect traditional meat consumption in the daily diets of households who purchase traditional meats from stores and obtain venison from hunting. In response to the media coverage of BSE and CWD, exotic meat eaters are less sensitive to animal disease media information than the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to disease outbreak alerts in exporting countries, importing countries usually impose trade bans that vary in terms of product coverage and in terms of duration. We rely on a unique balanced panel dataset that covers four‐digit disaggregated beef products over the 1996–2013 period, to estimate the effect of a hypothetical removal of animal diseases outbreaks on trade flows. More specifically, we investigate how bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and the foot and mouth diseases (FMDs) affect beef trade flows. We use a sectoral structural gravity approach to measure direct, conditional, and full effects, allowing inward and outward multilateral resistance indices, expenditures, and factory‐gate prices to adjust to the eradication of animal diseases. The indirect channels through which BSE and FMD impact trade are important. Our counterfactual experiment suggests that Canada would secure substantial gains from BSE and FMD eradication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventeen typical cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) were detected in Canada the period of 2003-2011. The clinical incidence of BSE was censored by early slaughter, death, or exportation of infected cattle due to the long incubation period of BSE disease. The aim of this study was to estimate the infection incidence of BSE in birth cohorts during 1996–2004 and project infection frequency through to 2007. An estimate of the number of asymptomatic infected cattle slaughtered for human consumption is also provided. The number of incident, asymptomatic cases was assumed to follow a Poisson process. A Bayesian back-calculation approach was used to project the risk of contracting BSE in those birth cohorts. Model parameters and inputs were taken from scientific literature and governmental data sources. The projected number of infected cattle in birth cohorts spanning the period 1996–2007 was 492, with median 95% credible interval 258–830. If the requirement to remove specified risk material (SRM) from cattle prior to entering the food chain was not in place, the predicted number of slaughtered infected in the human food chain from 1996–2010 was 298, with a 95% credible interval 156–500. The magnitude of the BSE epidemic in Canada for 1996–2007 birth cohorts was estimated to be approximately 28-fold higher than the number of clinical cases detected through to October 2011. Although some of those cattle were slaughtered for human consumption, the requirement of SRM removal may have prevented most of the infectious material from entering the food chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) appeared in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, and has been attributed to the use of meat and bone meal (MBM) in cattle feed contaminated with a scrapie-like agent. Import of infectious materials from a country where BSE has occurred is believed to be the major factor underlying the spread of the BSE epidemic to other countries. This study presents a new stochastic model developed to estimate risk of BSE from importation of cattle infected with the BSE agent. The model describes the propagation of the BSE agent through the Canadian cattle herd through rendering and feeding processes, following importation of cattle with infectious prions. This model was used estimate the annual number of newly infected animals each year over the period 1980–2019. Model predictions suggested that the number of BSE infections in Canada might have been approximately 40-fold greater than the actual number of clinically diagnosed cases. Under complete compliance with the 2007 ban on feeding MBM, this model further predicts that BSE is disappearing from the Canadian cattle system. A series of sensitivity analyses was also conducted to test the robustness of model predictions to alternative assumptions about factors affecting the evolution of the Canadian BSE epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is now good consensus that propagated protein misfolding is the underlying mechanism for the infectious prion diseases (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, and chronic wasting disease in deer and elk). Over the past decade it has become increasingly clear that other diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may progress via the same mechanism, involving a disease-specific polypeptide rather than the prion protein. Recent literature in these non-prion neurodegenerative diseases also points to the existence of multiple "strains" that express themselves differently in different contexts, resulting in different disease phenotypes. The probable cause of these neurodegenerative diseases is now referred to collectively as "propagated protein misfolding." Propagated protein misfolding raises many opportunities for new therapeutics and diagnostics. However, it also raises the theoretical risk of iatrogenic transmission, although experimental support for this notion is limited at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to quantify the impact of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on Canadian household meat-purchasing behavior, distinguished by varying risk perceptions and risk attitudes. Using panel data from 2002 to 2007 and a survey conducted in January 2008, households are clustered by the survey respondent's risk perceptions and attitudes toward beef. For each cluster, two-stage meat demand systems are constructed, incorporating the demographic characteristics of the households and BSE media coverage. The analysis for the entire panel and for each of the clusters suggests that beef risk attitudes and perceptions do affect household-purchasing behavior. Households with lower willingness to accept the risks of eating beef have more elastic beef demand and more willingness to substitute beef for other meats as compared to the household clusters with higher willingness to accept the risks of eating beef. BSE media coverage has stronger negative influences on households with lower willingness to accept the risks of beef. Across the entire sample, beef demand is more responsive to media coverage of BSE after the May 2003 domestic BSE case. La présente étude vise à quantifier les répercussions de l'ESB (encéphalopathie spongiforme bovine) sur le comportement d'achat de viande des ménages canadiens, selon la perception du risque et l'attitude à l'égard du risque. À l'aide de données de panel de 2002 à 2007 et d'une enquête réalisée en janvier 2008, nous avons groupé les répondants selon leur perception du risque et leur attitude à l'égard du risque liéà la consommation de bœuf. Pour chaque grappe, nous avons élaboré des modèles de demande de viande en deux étapes qui intègrent les caractéristiques démographiques des ménages et la couverture médiatique de l'ESB. L'analyse du panel et de chaque grappe autorise à penser que l'attitude à l'égard du risque et la perception du risque liéà la consommation de bœuf influencent le comportement d'achat des ménages. Les ménages qui sont moins disposés à accepter le risque liéà la consommation de bœuf affichent une demande de bœuf plus élastique et sont plus enclins à substituer le bœuf par d'autres viandes comparativement aux ménages qui sont plus disposés à accepter le risque liéà la consommation de bœuf. La couverture médiatique de l'ESB a une influence beaucoup plus négative sur les ménages qui sont moins disposés à accepter le risque liéà la consommation de bœuf. Dans tout l'échantillon, la couverture médiatique de l'ESB après la découverte du cas d'ESB au Canada en mai 2003 a influencé la demande de bœuf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Input–output analysis was used to calculate the economic impacts from potential prion diseases outbreaks in Alberta and the rest of Canada. Both chronic wasting disease (CWD) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) have the capacity not only to affect the farmed cervid and cattle industries, but also to impact all industries with direct and indirect links to these sectors. Cervid sector shocks yield small spillover effects on the economies of Alberta as well as that of all of Canada. In contrast, the cattle sector generates larger multiplier effects in both specifically Alberta region and all of Canada. The industries that consistently experience the largest impacts from prion disease outbreaks in both Alberta and remainder of Canada economic regions are agricultural sectors, mining and energy sectors, and industries dedicated to trade, transportation, and warehousing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this analysis was to identify changes in hunting behavior, satisfaction, and perceptions of risk in the presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD). Hunters completed an Internet survey containing direct questions regarding the impacts of CWD and gathering information about real and hypothetical hunting trips. Overall, hunters were satisfied with CWD management, and although certain behaviors were altered, the perceived risk by hunters did not seem to be high. A travel cost model was used to determine whether differences in trip frequencies might be observed in response to CWD. The largest variation in trips was between urban and rural hunters, with urban hunters being less averse to traveling but more averse to CWD and the management program of extra tags. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of much analysis of the impact of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on consumer perceptions and meat purchases, there has been little explicit analysis of the level of BSE knowledge. In this study the role of knowledge about BSE was examined in Canada, the United States, and Japan. In addition, the level of knowledge was linked to human health concerns regarding BSE and whether there is agreement with paying a premium for beef with BSE animal tests. From a public policy perspective, understanding whether higher or lower knowledge is linked to public concern and desire for market intervention might help in the design of risk communication in any future animal disease outbreak. Should lack of knowledge about the disease be related to a public desire for market intervention (animal testing, for example), then an increase in detailed information about how humans might contract the disease might change public pressure for intervention. As compared to U.S. and Canadian respondents, Japanese respondents are more knowledgeable regarding the ways in which humans might be exposed to the human variant of BSE (variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, vCJD) and are more concerned about the disease. However, U.S. respondents are more willing to pay a premium for beef tested to ensure that it will not result in vCJD. Japanese respondents who are more knowledgeable about BSE are more concerned about the risk of BSE to human health. In Canada, subjects who are more knowledgeable about the ways in which humans attain vCJD are less concerned about the risk of BSE to human health. Knowledge of the ways in which humans develop vCJD does not significantly influence concerns about the risk of BSE to human health in the United States or willingness to pay for BSE-tested beef in any of the three countries. The links between knowledge and concerns about BSE and between knowledge and agreement with paying premiums for BSE-tested beef were estimated for each country using ordered probit regressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household-level Canadian meat purchases from 2002 to 2008 and a Food Opinions Survey conducted in 2008 were used to explore consumer responses to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) at the national level in Canada. Consumption in terms of the number of unit purchases was analyzed with a random-effects negative binomial model. In this study, household heterogeneity in meat purchases was partially explained using data from a self-reported food opinions survey. Of special interest was the hypothesis that consumers responded consistently to BSE in a one-time survey and in actual meat purchase behavior spanning years. Regional differences appeared, with consumers in eastern Canada reacting most negatively to BSE. Consumers responded more to the perception that food decision makers are honest about food safety than to the perception that they are knowledgeable, in maintaining beef purchases during BSE events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habit persistence is related to recurring food safety incidents in the context of the initial three cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canadian cows. We test Engel functions, using generalized method of moments procedures, to analyze the dynamics of monthly beef expenditure shares of a sample of Canadian households during years 2002 through 2005. From microlevel panel data which followed meat expenditures by Canadian households before and after the first three BSE cases, which were discovered in 2003 and 2005, it is seen that households' reactions to these followed a similar general pattern: households reduced beef purchase expenditures following the discovery of BSE but expenditures subsequently recovered. Following the initial BSE event, we identify an immediate negative impact on beef expenditures. However, in the case of the second two BSE events, this negative impact was not evident until two months after the BSE announcements. The results suggest that habit persistence initially limited households' reductions of beef purchases following the first BSE event. However, households with higher beef expenditure shares reduced expenditure more than others following the second two BSE events, suggesting that habitual patterns of high levels of consumption tended to change with the recurrence of these food safety events. La persistance des habitudes de consommation est liée aux incidents de sécurité alimentaire récurrents dans le contexte des trois premiers cas d'ESB décelés chez des bovins canadiens. À l'aide de la méthode des moments généralisés, nous avons estimé des courbes d'Engel pour analyser la dynamique des parts de dépenses mensuelles en viande de bœuf auprès d'un échantillon de ménages, au cours de la période de 2002 à 2005. D'après un panel de microdonnées sur les dépenses en viande des ménages canadiens effectuées avant et après la découverte des trois premiers cas d'ESB en 2003 et en 2005, la réaction des ménages semble avoir suivi une tendance générale similaire, à savoir une diminution des dépenses en viande de bœuf après l'annonce des cas d'ESB, suivie d'une reprise. Après l'annonce du premier cas d'ESB, nous avons observé un impact négatif immédiat sur les dépenses en viande de bœuf. Par contre, dans les deux autres cas, l'impact négatif ne s'est fait sentir que deux mois après leur annonce. Les résultats autorisent à penser que la persistance des habitudes a limité la diminution des dépenses des ménages en viande de bœuf après l'annonce du premier cas d'ESB. Toutefois, les ménages qui avaient une part des dépenses en viande de bœuf élevée ont diminué leurs dépenses plus que les autres ménages après l'annonce des deuxième et troisième cas, ce qui laisse supposer que les comportements habituels de consommation élevée ont eu tendance à changer avec la récurrence de ces incidents de sécurité alimentaire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Canada, specific tissues at risk of harbouring prions are not allowed to enter the food chain. Composting may be a viable alternative to rendering and land filling for the disposal of specified risk material (SRM). Two types of laboratory-scale composters, actively-heated and ambient systems were constructed to assess the biodegradation of SRM over 30 days. A second heating cycle was generated by mixing the compost after 15 days. Compared to ambient composters, temperature profiles in actively-heated composters were above 50°C for 5 and 4 days longer in the first and second composting cycles, respectively. Degradation of SRM was similar between two composter types during two composting cycles, averaging 52.2% in the first cycle and 43.9% in second cycle. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) revealed that changes in the actinobacteria populations in the first composting cycle were of a temporal nature, whereas alterations in populations in the second composting cycle were more related to active heating of compost. Sequencing of the dominant DGGE bands showed the predominance of Corynebacterium, Promicromonospora, Pseudonocardia, and Thermobifida in the first composting cycle and Corynebacterium, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Saccharomonospora, and Streptomyces in the second composting cycle. Active heating can alter the nature of actinobacteria populations in compost, but does not appear to have a major impact on the extent of degradation of SRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of policy research to determine the extent to which First Nation cattle producers in Saskatchewan, Canada applied for and received government financial support following the 2003 Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease) crisis. Findings indicate a 3% participation rate among First Nation producers compared to 80% participation rate for non-First Nation producers during the same period. It is argued that if the federal and provincial governments of Canada continue their policies of indifference towards First Nation agriculture, it is unlikely that agricultural will ever serve as a viable economic opportunity for First Nations in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first confirmed Canadian case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was reported to the general public on 20 May 2003 and received considerable media coverage. A random-digit dialled telephone survey of 1207 people in Alberta, Canada, was conducted in spring 2007 to better understand public perspectives on the resulting economic concerns and effects on farming. Comparisons to other risk events and concerns about the overall risk were also examined. Respondents acknowledged BSE to be an economic risk, especially to cattle producers. Health risks were of little concern, especially in comparison to other relevant risk events such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the BSE crisis in Britain. However, the risk of BSE was perceived as more dangerous should a domestically attributed case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) (the human form of the disease) occur. The social amplification of risk framework (SARF) was extended to demonstrate that the discovery of BSE in Alberta led to neither an amplification nor attenuation of risk. Rather, risk management strategies employed in Alberta led to a mirroring of media representations and public perceptions of the risk. This unusual situation is in part due to the social and cultural context of the discovery of BSE in Alberta, including the history and pride of beef production in Alberta, how the risk was anchored, and a trust in government fostered by the media. This research also demonstrated how the application and interpretation of SARF is dependent on the comparative value used to assess whether amplification or attenuation has occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines farm to wholesale prices spreads to measure the impact of the BSE disease outbreak on the Canadian beef industry. The study uses structure break tests developed by Gregory and Hansen (1996) and Hansen (1992) examine possible breaks within co integrating relationships. The study finds evidence that the industry began realignment as a result of the UK BSE disease outbreak, and the Canadian BSE disease outbreak was simply the largest realignment of the process beginning with the UK disease outbreak. However, the only statistically significant break was the BSE disease outbreak itself in May 2003. Stability was not restored until the border was reopened in 2005. Specific results indicated that the processing sector exploited the border closure in May 2003 to enhance its market power and that the system returned to a competitive one after the border re-opened in July 2005. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance programs have been employed in numerous countries to monitor BSE prevalence and to protect animal and human health. Since 1999, the European Commission (EC) authorized the evaluation and approval of 20 molecular based tests for the rapid detection of the pathological prion protein (PrPsc) in BSE infection. The diagnostic sensitivity, convenience, and speed of these tests have made molecular diagnostics the preferred method for BSE surveillance. The aim of this study was to determine the analytical sensitivity of 4 commercially available BSE rapid-test kits, including the Prionics®-Check WESTERN, the Prionics® Check-PrioSTRIP™, the BioRad® TeSeE™ ELISA, and the IDEXX® HerdChek™ EIA. Performances of these tests were then compared to 2 confirmatory tests, including the BioRad® TeSeE™ Western Blot and the modified Scrapie Associated Fibrils (SAF)/OIE Immunoblot. One 50% w/v homogenate was made from experimentally generated C-type BSE brain tissues in ddH2O. Homogenates were diluted through a background of BSE-negative brainstem homogenate. Masses of both positive and negative tissues in each dilution were calculated to maintain the appropriate tissue amounts for each test platform. Specific concentrated homogenization buffer was added accordingly to maintain the correct buffer condition for each test. ELISA-based tests were evaluated using their respective software/detection platforms. Blot-protocols were evaluated by manual measurements of blot signal density. Detection limitations were determined by fitted curves intersecting the manufacturers' positive/negative criteria. The confirmatory SAF Immunoblot displayed the highest analytical sensitivity, followed by the IDEXX® HerdChek™ EIA, Bio-Rad® TeSeE™ Western Blot, the Bio-Rad® TeSeE™ ELISA, Prionics®-Check PrioSTRIP™, and Prionics®-Check WESTERN™, respectively. Although the tests performed at different levels of sensitivity, the most sensitive and least sensitive of the rapid tests were separated by 2 logs in analytical sensitivity, meeting European performance requirements. All rapid tests appear suitable for targeted BSE surveillance programs, as implemented in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is PrioNet's vision to build a network that shapes and sustains prion research in Canada, translating basic science into accessible socioeconomic benefits for global betterment. PrioNet's research is developing surveillance measures, diagnostic tools, vaccines, and potential therapies and determining the various impacts of prion diseases on people. PrioNet seeks to integrate scientifically informed risk management strategies and to use this knowledge to address ongoing problems posed by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the gathering crisis of chronic wasting disease (CWD), emerging issues of human prion disease, and basic scientific understanding of the nature of prions. PrioNet is strategically responding to prion threats by focusing its network of highly accomplished researchers and trainees to implement integrated risk management strategies that could not be supported by other mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an abundance of literature examining the economic impact of Canada's bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) outbreak, but few studies examined the impact of such a crisis on health at the individual, family, or community levels. In particular, rural youth represent an underresearched population despite being at risk for a unique set of social and health concerns. In this pilot study, our objectives were to explore how rural youth responded to Canada's BSE crisis and how they perceived themselves, their families, and their communities to have been impacted. Seven youths (n = 7), recruited from within a university setting using a snowball sampling method, were interviewed. They represent a segment of rural, agriculturally based youth who are resilient due to good parental support. Although they reported high stress in their families during the immediate crisis in 2003, they did not report lasting high levels of stress or negative health effects due to BSE. They did report a decline in rural community health, identifying a reduction in community activities and in the participation of families in community activities. Participants identified elements that discourage youth from pursuing farming as a career and expressed concern for the future of family farming. The results are discussed in terms of the ability of agriculturally based youth to make the transition to adulthood. The implications have importance for future research and policy that addresses the structural supports for choice making, the long-term success for rural youth in transitioning to adult status, and the future of agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is not limited to the infection with the BSE agent but also affects psychosocial responses, such as worry and loss of confidence in public authorities. It was shown in past crises that these reactions depended upon the way the event was perceived by the public. Understanding the nature of the perceptions of BSE is therefore of great importance for risk management in all phases of the risk, including the period before the onset of a crisis, when BSE is still only a pending threat to human health. This study analyzed data from a representative national survey of Canadians (n = 1,517) on the perceived risk of prion diseases. Factor analysis revealed emerging dimensions of BSE appraisals and regression analysis identified variables that predicted worry and coping strategies. Results yielded three significant factors, each relating differently to reactions to BSE: (1) Perceived impact, which combined perceived risk for health and likelihood of occurrence of BSE crises, was the main predictor of worry about eating tainted beef; (2) perceived mastery, consisting of personal knowledge and control, predicted taking action to avoid the disease; and (3) perceived intricacy, composed of perceived complexity and uncertainty, uniquely predicted trying to ignore BSE-related risks. Further regression analysis and analysis of variance exposed a moderating role of perceived intricacy on the relationship between perceived impact of BSE crises and worry. The implications of these findings for risk communication and management are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an assessment of the perceived relative risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the context of other aspects of livestock production and human health issues. The factors influencing consumers' concerns regarding these issues are identified. Consumers' risk perceptions and risk attitudes about beef and poultry and the factors that influenced any reduction in beef consumption due to food safety issues or BSE are analyzed. General population internet-based survey were used to collect data in Japan (2009) and Canada (2006, 2009). BSE remains the highest ranking livestock production concern in Japan, in 2009, 9 years after the first animal with BSE was found in Japan. In Canada (2009), 6 years after the first domestic animal was found to have BSE, BSE ranked 7 out of 8 in possible livestock production concerns. Respondents in both countries who are older and female have a higher probability of being concerned about all livestock production issues. Higher levels of education in Canada are associated with a lower probability of ranking BSE as a high risk issue, while in Japan the opposite occurs. Canadian respondents have higher risk perceptions about poultry than beef and are more willing to accept the risks of eating beef than poultry (higher risk attitudes) than Japanese respondents. Together with some of the demographic variables, risk attitudes and risk perceptions have significantly influenced reductions in beef consumption due to food safety issues over the past 4 years and since consumers first heard about BSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the dynamics of risk perceptions related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) held by Canadian consumers and cow-calf producers were evaluated. Since the first domestic case of BSE in 2003, Canadian consumers and cow-calf producers have needed to make decisions on whether or not their purchasing/production behavior should change. Such changes in their behavior may relate to their levels of risk perceptions about BSE, risk perceptions that may be evolving over time and be affected by BSE media information available. An econometric analysis of the behavior of consumers and cow-calf producers might identify the impacts of evolving BSE risk perceptions. Risk perceptions related to BSE are evaluated through observed market behavior, an approach that differs from traditional stated preference approaches to eliciting risk perceptions at a particular point in time. BSE risk perceptions may be specified following a Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) derived from sociology, psychology, and economics. Based on the SARF, various quality and quantity indices related to BSE media information are used as explanatory variables in risk perception equations. Risk perceptions are approximated using a predictive difference approach as defined by Liu et al. (1998). Results showed that Canadian consumer and cow-calf producer risk perceptions related to BSE have been amplified or attenuated by both quantity and quality of BSE media information. Government policies on risk communications need to address the different roles of BSE information in Canadian consumers' and cow-calf producers' behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the study which examines the dynamics in the inventory and investment in the faced of trade policy uncertainty. It mentions that the study focuses on the case of the worldwide ban of imported beef from Canada after cows in the country were infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). It states that expectation of Canadian producers on the length of the policy contribute to change in the impact of the policy to inventory and investment.

Household-level Nielsen Homescan data from 2002 to 2006 were used to identify Canadian consumers'; reactions to the early Bovine spongiform encephalopathy discoveries that severely impacted Canada's beef industry. Consumers reacted to the initial BSE event by purchasing more fresh beef, apparently to support struggling ranchers. Reaction to each subsequent BSE discovery, however, was negative and diminishing in magnitude. The results were consistent across 3 measures of monthly beef purchases: participation, units purchased, and beef expenditure. Failing to account for the context of individual BSE events would have produced little evidence of consumer reaction, a common finding among prior North American BSE studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for reflexive modernization is defined by multiple factors, but the acknowledgment of risk is crucial, particularly among social groups that play a key role in risk minimization. This study offers an examination of the role of local media in response to the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in beef-producing communities in rural Alberta. BSE is one of several global risk issues that reflexive modernization theorists argue have the potential to trigger a transformation toward a critically reflexive society in which such risks are minimized. Content analysis of newspapers in beef-producing regions in Alberta, however, shows how local media framed BSE in a manner that maximized community cohesion and protection of local culture. This selective coverage of BSE in rural Alberta is quite likely to have contributed to, or at least reinforced, support for the current institutional structure of Canadian agriculture in beef-producing regions, through the constriction of discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AgriStability is the primary Canadian agricultural risk management program. Recent experience with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the cattle sector demonstrated that output prices are susceptible to both “normal” risk and sudden, “catastrophic” declines. This paper evaluates the AgriStability program for cow-calf producers when there is potential for catastrophic price risk. A simulation model is developed. Under a base case scenario, when there is no catastrophic price risk, AgriStability behaves more like an income support program than a risk management tool. Risk-neutral producers see a 12.1% increase in certainty equivalent wealth compared to 12.5% for moderately risk-averse producers. Introducing catastrophic price risk increases risk-averse producers’ expected benefits to 21.8%. Actuarially fair program premiums and implied subsidies are also estimated. These results demonstrate that AgriStability is highly subsidized. Finally, benefits from supplementary catastrophic revenue insurance are calculated and discussed, along with several additional structural features of the program. Agri-stabilité constitue le principal programme canadien de gestion des risques en agriculture. L'encéphalopathie spongiforme bovine qui a frappé le secteur de l’élevage bovin a démontré que les prix des extrants sont exposés à des risques « normaux » et à des chutes soudaines et « catastrophiques ». Le présent article évalue le programme Agri-stabilité dans le cas des producteurs vache-veau (veaux d’embouche) lorsqu’un potentiel de risque de prix catastrophique existe. Nous avons élaboré un modèle de simulation. Dans le cadre d’un scénario de référence, lorsqu’il n’existe pas de risque de prix catastrophique, le programme Agri-stabilité ressemble davantage à un programme de soutien du revenu qu’à un outil de gestion des risques. Dans le cas des producteurs indifférents aux risques, l’équivalent certain de la richesse aléatoire est supérieur de 12,1 % comparativement à 12,5 % dans le cas des producteurs modérément risquophobes. L'introduction de risque de prix catastrophique augmente les bénéfices espérés des producteurs risquophobes de 21,8 %. Nous avons également estimé ce que représentent les indemnités actuariellement justes ainsi que les subventions implicites. Les résultats ont montré que le programme Agri-stabilité est très subventionné. Finalement, nous avons examiné et calculé les indemnités tirées d’une assurance-revenu supplémentaire en cas de risque catastrophique et nous avons aussi analysé plusieurs autres caractéristiques structurelles du programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this paper are (a) to estimate the overall losses to the beef industry in Canada from BSE by identifying and estimating the increased costs and reduced revenues to the industry from May 2003 to September 2007; and (b) to assess the extent to which compensation paid by federal and provincial governments to producers of cattle and beef products covered these losses. The analysis suggests that in aggregate, the industry in Canada was fully indemnified through federal and provincial assistance programs, but the gains or losses to various sectors within the beef industry cannot be identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epidemiology and possibly the etiology of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) have recently been recognized to be heterogeneous. In particular, three types [classical (C) and two atypical (H, L)] have been identified, largely on the basis of characteristics of the proteinase K (PK)-resistant core of the misfolded prion protein associated with the disease (PrPres). The present study was conducted to characterize the 17 Canadian BSE cases which occurred prior to November 2009 based on the molecular and biochemical properties of their PrPres, including immunoreactivity, molecular weight, glycoform profile and relative PK sensitivity. Two cases exhibited molecular weight and glycoform profiles similar to those of previously reported atypical cases, one corresponding to H-type BSE (case 6) and the other to L-type BSE (case 11). All other cases were classified as C-type. PK digestion under mild and stringent conditions revealed a reduced protease resistance in both of these cases compared to the C-type cases. With Western immunoblotting, N-terminal-specific antibodies bound to PrPres from case 6 but not to that from case 11 or C-type cases. C-terminal-specific antibodies revealed a shift in the glycoform profile and detected a fourth protein fragment in case 6, indicative of two PrPres subpopulations in H-type BSE. No mutations suggesting a genetic etiology were found in any of the 17 animals by sequencing the full PrP-coding sequence in exon 3 of the PRNP gene. Thus, each of the three known BSE types have been confirmed in Canadian cattle and show molecular characteristics highly similar to those of classical and atypical BSE cases described from Europe, Japan and the USA. The occurrence of atypical cases of BSE in countries such as Canada with low BSE prevalence and transmission risk argues for the occurrence of sporadic forms of BSE worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before the discovery of the first Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) cow in May 2003, Canada was the most important exporter of live cattle into the US with a share of 74% of US total live cattle imports. With the outbreak of BSE in Canada, the US ceased imports of Canadian cattle and beef products. This study analyses the short to medium-term effect of the import trade ban for the US economy using a 20 sector, economy wide Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. Uncertainty about exogenous elasticity values was addressed using Monte Carlo techniques. Beneficiaries of the trade ban are the cattle industry and related sectors, such as feed production and agricultural service providers. The US economy as a whole, however, is negatively affected with a loss of ∼$-1.7 billion in gross domestic product and -11000 jobs. The model shows how the restriction on Canadian cattle imports generates income losses for both rich and poor households in the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A national public survey on public perceptions of prion disease risk in Canada was conducted from October to December 2007. The survey aimed at documenting the public's perceptions of prion diseases, within the broader context of food safety, in establishing parameters of risk acceptability. It also documented the public's perceptions of prion diseases in delineating social values and ethics that can guide Canada's future policies on prion disease risk management. In addition, the survey served to establish baseline data against which to monitor the evolution of the public's views on and understanding of this important risk issue. In total, 1517 Canadians were randomly selected to be representative of the adult population by region, age, and gender, as per the 2001 Census. This study presents descriptive findings from the survey regarding perceived risk, perceived control, uncertainty, sources of information, trust and knowledge, and beliefs pertaining to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The survey data reveal that Canadians do not perceive mad cow disease as a salient risk but consider it more of an economic, political, social, and foreign trade issue than a public health one. Canadians are somewhat prepared to pay a premium to have a safer food supply, but not to the same extent that they desire extra measures pertaining to BSE risk management. In the context of increasing accountability in risk management decisions about food safety and population health issues, it is important to understand the way Canadians perceive such matters and identify their information needs and the factors that influence the acceptability of risks and of risk management policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The public is increasingly concerned about risks associated with food. Food-borne diseases can easily mobilize public concerns and create strong emotional, behavioral, and political reactions with significant negative economic and psychosocial outcomes. This was observed in various countries globally experiencing the presence of prion disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). This study highlights case-study material from various countries for key psychosocial impacts such as the public's worry and fear vis-a-vis beef consumption and the loss of confidence and trust in authorities stemming from the occurrence and management of the BSE crisis. These psychosocial impacts and resultant public behavioral responses are presented at a number of levels including individual, family, community, and societal for several European countries, with special emphasis on the UK case study. Given failures to identify the scope of individual concern about prion diseases, and to address these concerns in decision-making processes and risk communication strategies, there remains a need for further systematic research and psychosocial monitoring of the ripple effects of BSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Canadian case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or “mad cow disease” was confirmed in May, 2003. An in-depth content analysis of newspaper articles was conducted to understand the portrayal of BSE and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in the Canadian media. Articles in the “first 10 days” following the initial discovery of a cow with BSE in Canada on May 20, 2003, were examined based on the premise that these initial stories provide the major frames that dominate news media reporting of the same issue over time and multiple occurrences. Subsequent confirmed Canadian cases were similarly analyzed to determine if coverage changed in these later media articles. The results include a prominence of economic articles, de-emphasis of health aspects, and anchoring the Canadian outbreak to that of Britain's crisis. The variation in media representations between those in Canada and those documented in Britain are explored in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PrioNet Canada's strength in basic, applied, and social research is helping to solve the food, health safety, and socioeconomic problems associated with prion diseases. Prion diseases are transmissible, fatal neurodegenerative diseases of humans and animals. Examples of prion diseases include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, commonly known as “mad cow” disease), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk. As of March 31, 2008, PrioNet's interdisciplinary network included 62 scientific members, 5 international collaborators, and more than 150 students and young professionals working in partnership with 25 different government, nongovernment, and industry partners. PrioNet's activities are developing strategies based on a sustained, rational approach that will mitigate, and ultimately control, prion diseases in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada, and subsequently in the United States, confidence in the safety of beef products remained high. Consumers actually increased their consumption of beef slightly after the news of an increased risk from mad cow disease, which has been interpreted as public support for beef farmers and confidence in government regulators. The Canadian public showed a markedly different reaction to the news of domestic BSE than the furious and panicked responses observed in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. Using the social amplification of risk framework, we show that, while other countries displayed social amplification of risk, Canada experienced a social attenuation of risk. The attenuated reaction in Canada toward mad cow disease and increased human health risks from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) was due to the social context at the time when BSE was discovered domestically. Mortality, morbidity, and psychosocial impacts resulting from other major events such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus (WNV), and the U.S.-Iraq war made the theoretical risks of BSE and vCJD a lower priority, reducing its concern as a risk issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has been documented in 28 countries and adversely affected farmers and rural communities around the world. Our study examines the impacts of and adaptive responses of producers to BSE in western Canada. Moreover, it explores the role that holistic management (HM), and its combined focus on environmental, social, and economic sustainability, might play in mitigating the effects of BSE. One survey was sent to 835 HM producers and another to 9,740 producers across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The disease, and concomitant climate change and low commodity prices, had devastating impacts on both groups. Yet, HM producers were much more optimistic about their ability to adapt to BSE and the future of agriculture than their non-HM counterparts. Social networks, namely HM clubs and the larger HM community, enabled these producers to mitigate the impacts of BSE. Agronomic responses, especially those associated with rotational grazing and increases in on-farm biodiversity were also important. That HM has been such an effective adaptive response to BSE indicates the importance of this and other grassroots responses to rural crises, whether they be associated with zoonotic diseases or indeed environmental change as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), popularly known as ‘Mad Cow’ disease, was discovered in the late 1980s in Britain; in 1996, scientists announced a ‘probable’ link between eating BSE-contaminated meat and a new form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a fatal human brain disease. Britain's beef industry was devastated, beef consumption dropped, export markets closed and a mass cull of older cattle was implemented. This article uses social representation theory to analyze how Canada's 2003 BSE outbreak was portrayed to Canadians in major newspapers and compares this representation with BSE's impact in two rural Alberta counties. The day Canada's BSE case was reported, the United States closed its border to Canadian cattle and beef. The event was represented as ‘devastating’ to Canada's cattle and beef industries and rural areas in general, a view that went largely unchallenged and was critical to gaining government support for the affected industries. Little evidence of economic devastation was found in the heart of Alberta's cow-calf producing area; producers adapted to their changing economic circumstances and acquired other sources of income. But there is little doubt that the financial uncertainty associated with BSE added to stress levels among farm families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The days following the discovery of BSE in Canada were characterized by considerable uncertainty for both policy makers and industry stakeholders. This paper develops eight criteria for economic systems models that would provide information on the impacts of border closures and the effects of programs designed to alleviate some of the financial strain on industry stakeholders. The eight criteria provide a framework to evaluate two economic models used extensively by policy makers in Canada to provide policy guidance in addition to a survey of published economics literature related to the Canadian beef industry prior to the discovery of the BSE case in May 2003. The results suggest a need to improve the combination of knowledge and modeling skills and techniques before another tragedy strikes the agricultural industry in Canada. Les jours qui ont suivi la découverte d'un cas d'ESB au Canada ont semé beaucoup d'incertitude chez les décideurs et les acteurs de l'industrie. Dans la présente étude, nous avons élaboré huit critères pour des modèles de systèmes économiques qui fourniraient de l'information sur les répercussions de la fermeture des frontières et sur les effets des programmes visant à atténuer une partie des contraintes financières auxquelles sont confrontés les acteurs de l'industrie. Les huit critères offrent un cadre pour évaluer deux modèles économiques que les décideurs au Canada utilisent fréquemment pour déterminer une orientation politique, en plus d'un tour d'horizon de la littérature économique sur l'industrie bovine au Canada avant la découverte du premier cas d'ESB en mai 2003. Les résultats ont montré la nécessité d'améliorer la combinaison connaissances, compétences et techniques de modélisation avant qu'une autre tragédie ne frappe l'industrie agricole canadienne. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the impact of BSE-related trade restrictions on Canada using a general equilibrium model. It links selected results of the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) approach, a global computable general equilibrium model, with Basic Model of Regional Trade (BMRT), a Canadian regional model. We find first, that while producers were hurt a lot, there are other general equilibrium considerations (gains to processors and/or consumers) and sectoral adjustments that at the regional level tend to partially offset the losses suffered by producers. We also assess the extent to which opening of the U.S. border is important relative to access to the rest of the world. Our results indicate that the losses to the Canadian economy are around $1 billion and they were reduced significantly when Canada resumed beef trade with the United States, as a result of various government allegations. Le présent article évalue, à l'aide d'un modèle d'équilibre général, les répercussions des restrictions commerciales imposées envers le Canada à la suite de la découverte d'un cas d'ESB. Il établit un lien entre les résultats sélectionnés du Projet d'analyse des échanges commerciaux (GTAP), un modèle d'équilibre général mondial et programmable, et ceux du Modèle de base des échanges régionaux , un modèle régional canadien. Bien que les producteurs aient été très touchés, il faut considérer d'autres éléments d'équilibre général (gains réalisés par les transformateurs et/ou les consommateurs) et des ajustements sectoriels qui, à l'échelle régionale, tendent à compenser partiellement les pertes subies par les producteurs. Nous avons évalué l'étendue de l'importance de l'ouverture des frontières des États-Unis par rapport à l'accès au marché du reste du monde. Selon nos résultats, les pertes pour l'économie canadienne avoisinent le milliard de dollars et ont considérablement diminué lorsque le Canada a repris le commerce duf avec les États-Unis à la suite de diverses allégations de la part du gouvernement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On May 20, 2003, the report of a single infected cow caused Canada to join the list of countries infected with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly known as "mad cow" disease. In this article, by considering the Canadian cattle industry as a political economy, the authors assess factual aspects of the first year of the Canadian BSE crisis from a crisis management perspective. Literature suggests that the processual approach of crisis management can assist marketers in improving their responsiveness to socioeconomic disasters, thereby extending the significance of crisis management theory in marketing. Building a responsive, learning-based approach to crisis management should lead marketers to appreciate the plurality of their environment, the primary source of uncertainty. Building a responsive, learning-based approach to crisis management into the industry will safeguard both the industry and the public against both further socioeconomic crises and further food safety concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), there has been a dramatic increase in the integration of markets for live cattle and beef products in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. These markets were severely disrupted in 2003 by the confirmation of single cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada and the United States. The bulk of this disruption could have been avoided if the countries had developed more closely coordinated risk management programs based on the guidance of international standards. The BSE events illustrate that failure to address regulatory integration leaves integrated markets vulnerable to recurring disruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On March 20, 1996, a day known as Black Wednesday to the British beef industry, the British Secretary of State of Health announced that a possible link existed between BSE and the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), the human variant of mad cow. Seven years later, a somewhat comparable fate struck the Canadian beef industry. In May 2003, the discovery of the first native North American case of BSE in Canada deflated the prospects of the industry across the country, consequently creating environmental uncertainty. This paper conceptually analyses the events that occurred in Britain by considering the beef industry as a political economy. The authors find that socio-political structures, driven by power and dependency relations, socio-political processes, and driven by cooperation and conflicts within a marketing channel greatly influenced channel members' behaviors during this crisis. In addition, even though some changes were made, the authors believe that, based on the conceptual analysis of the first year following this critical event, Canadian beef industry leaders and government alike did not learn sufficiently from the unfortunate events that occurred in Britain in 1996, even if some stakeholders believed that they had. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors here argue that government policies helped to bring about a boom in the Canadian beef industry, but these policies also contributed to the industry's vulnerable structure, which then led to financial chaos with the discovery of BSE in Alberta in 2003. The paper describes the genesis of the problem, the impact of the discovery of BSE, the responses of the federal and provincial governments, and the exacerbating effects of protectionism in foreign markets. The authors highlight key changes that must occur if Canadian beef is to compete successfully in the international marketplace over the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, is confirmed, it causes a major impact economically, socially, culturally, and geographically. Through framing analysis, this study examined the way in which a case of BSE confirmed in Canada was covered in Canadian and American newspapers. By examining what the major newspapers emphasized, what sources they used for information on the disease, and the frames used in reporting the outbreak, results indicated a significant difference between American and Canadian print media coverage surrounding the mad cow outbreak. Specifically, U.S. newspapers primarily reported the outbreak as posing a high risk to humans, while Canadian newspapers primarily reported the outbreak as a crisis for the Canadian cattle industry. Overall, the news coverage of the mad cow disease outbreak in May 2003 was negative, potentially causing uncertainty and fear in Canada and the United States. If journalists cover only agricultural news that is problematic or associated with risk--like mad cow disease--then it can be expected that consumers will continue to lack accurate knowledge and understanding of agricultural and food-related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports that in the year 2003, Canada and the U.S. announced their first cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. In May, a single infected cow was discovered in Alberta. In December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the U.S.'s first case: a dairy cow in Washington State had tested positive for BSE. Soon after, DNA testing showed that the Washington cow had been born, and most likely infected, in Canada. In comparison to the European experience with BSE, two single cases among the vast cattle population of North America appear insignificant. Certainly, these cases have few implications for public health. However, the economic impact of both cases was significant for both countries, albeit far greater in Canada.

Examines the efficacy of rules-based trade agreements like the World Trade Organization and the North American Free Trade Agreement if one bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-infected cow could mean the long-term closure of over 30 markets for both the U.S. and Canada. Background of the BSE outbreak case in North America; Information on BSE; International reaction to BSE from both consumers and politicians.

This article reports on variant CJD screening of blood donors. The epidemic of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Great Britain and the recognition that it appears to have a human form, variant CJD (vCJD), has raised concerns about the possibility that vCJD might be transmitted by blood transfusion. Although no conclusive evidence has been found that transfusion transmission occurs, there is still no antemortem diagnostic test for vCJD. Presuming that a test will be developed, the operators of the blood supply system in Canada organized a consensus conference to consider possible actions if and when a test for vCJD becomes available. Several assumptions were made about the nature of a test for vCJD. The development of such a test would be a higher priority in countries with many cases of vCJD, such as Great Britain.

In May 2003, Canada became the 22nd country outside of the United Kingdom to report a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an animal not known to be imported from a country with cattle previously affected by this fatal, transmissible prion disease. Despite extensive testing of thousands of other animals that may have been exposed to contaminated feed at the same time as the affected animal, no evidence has been found for other infections. This finding leaves room for conjectures that the single confirmed case arose spontaneously, perhaps (by analogy with human Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease) as a result of a somatic protein misfolding event or a novel germline mutation. Here we present DNA sequence data from the affected animal's prion protein coding sequence that argue definitively against the latter hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), researchers have orally challenged cattle with infected brain material to study various aspects of disease pathogenesis. Unlike most other pathogens, oral BSE challenge does not always result in the expected clinical presentation and pathology. In a recent study, steers were challenged orally with BSE and all developed clinical signs and were sacrificed and tested. However, despite a similar incubation and clinical presentation, one of the steers did not have detectable PrP Sc in its brain. Samples from this animal were analysed for genetic differences as well as for the presence of in vitro PrP Sc seeding activity or infectivity to determine the BSE status of this animal and the potential reasons that it was different. Seeding activity was detected in the brainstem of the abnormal steer but it was approximately one million times less than that found in the normal BSE positive steers. Intra-cranial challenge of bovinized transgenic mice resulted in no transmission of disease. The abnormal steer had different genetic sequences in non-coding regions of the PRNP gene but detection of similar genotypes in Canadian BSE field cases, that showed the expected brain pathology, suggested these differences may not be the primary cause of the abnormal result. Breed composition analysis showed a higher Hereford content in the abnormal steer as well as in two Canadian atypical BSE field cases and several additional abnormal experimental animals. This study could point towards a possible impact of breed composition on BSE pathogenesis.