And it is trouble that is proving impossible to contain in Europe. In recent months, Western Europe has been thrown into crisis as mad cow disease has turned up in cattle in France, Spain, Italy and Germany. Europe's geographic and regulatory barriers have proved no match for tiny prions, the infectious proteins that have infected more than 180,000 cattle in the past 15 years, most of them in Britain, and killed approximately 90 people. Yesterday, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned mad cow disease could spread worldwide and urged governments to take steps to prevent the epidemic from reaching humans. The warning came as U.S. health authorities placed an unspecified number of Texas cattle in quarantine after reports their feed may have been contaminated by animal protein.
Canadian officials stress there is no evidence the disease has reached North America.
They also stress Canada has taken steps to keep mad cow at bay. European imports of beef and certain beef products have been banned. Sick cattle are tested and diverted away from rendering plants. And anyone who has lived in Britain or France for more than six months since 1980 cannot donate blood. But not proactive enough for Mike McBane of the Canadian Health Coalition, an advocacy group based in Ottawa.