Mad Cow Disease Essay

Worldwide the number of beef cattle being slaughtered who were contaminated with strains of E. Coli ranged from 2.1 to 70.1% (Clark). Diseases that can infect humans have been manifesting within the beef cattle industry for decade resulting in thousands of deaths for humans. Two of more common infections include E. Coli and Mad Cow Disease both of which are consequences of how cattle are raised and treatment in factory farms. Because of the lack of procedures being followed and standards being upheld, meat becomes contaminated, and humans consume the meat which leads to many deaths with the food industry to blame. E. Coli is a disease that colonizes in the gastrointestinal tract of cows. In other words, the bacteria grows in the feces of

This disease has had outbreaks in Europe and North America. In England, “100,000 cases were confirmed by 1993, 5 million cattle were slaughtered and dozens of people died of the deadly human form of the disease, which is thought to be contracted from eating tainted meat” (Mother Earth News). Following this outbreak the United States temporarily stopped the imports of European beef, but it is believed that some products still passed through ports. The outbreak in England is an example of the result of using the now banned but poorly policed practice of feeding sheep, deer, or cattle meat and bone meal to cattle even though cattle are not omnivores. England has banned this practice completely following the discovery that it is the cause of mad cow disease, however the United States and Canada only have restrictions on the practice. Instead of beef industries feeding their herbivore cows crops and grass they put human lives in danger to save a buck on the cheaper inhumane feed. The human form of this disease causes holes in the brain and typically leads to death, and these cows are being forced to be cannibalistic, which is a huge health problems a truly an inhumane ways to treat