From Top News at AOL:

WASHINGTON (AP) - A single Holstein on a Washington state farm has tested positive for mad cow disease, marking the disease's first suspected appearance in the United States, the Bush administration announced Tuesday as it assured Americans their food is safe.

The farm near Yakima, Wash., where the cow originated, has been quarantined as officials trace how the animal contracted the disease and where its meat went.

Mad cow disease, known also as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, eats holes in the brains of cattle. It sprang up in Britain in 1986 and spread through countries in Europe and Asia, prompting massive destruction of herds and decimating the European beef industry.

A form of mad cow disease can be contracted by humans if they eat infected beef or nerve tissue, and possibly through blood transfusions. The human form of mad cow disease so far has killed 143 people in Britain and 10 elsewhere, none in the United States. Blood donors possibly at risk for the disease are banned from giving.

Wary of the potential economic impact on their American market, beef producers quickly sought Tuesday to reassure consumers that infected meat wouldn't reach their tables.

Lawmakers are keenly aware that a case of mad cow disease in Canada last May - which officials described as a single, isolated incident - still had devastating economic consequences.

``If it's anything like what happened in Canada, it will be bad. The problem won't be that people will stop eating meat in the United States; the problem is the exports will be shut down like we did with Canada,'' said Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn.


Samples from the cow have been sent to Britain for confirmation of the preliminary mad cow finding, Veneman said. The results will be known in three to five days. Veneman said consumers can get daily updates by reading the department's Web site or by calling 1-866-4USDACO.

Alisa Harrison, a department spokeswoman, said downer cattle that show signs of mad cow disease when they reach the slaughterhouse are tested for the illness.

Agriculture Department: http://www.usda.gov

I knew it would come to the US sooner or later. This will be horrible for the beef industry if people get paranoid. I can't even imagine the toll it might take on the small cattle farms.

You are right rouge. The media is going to over do this I know it.

Did you see footage of those cows!??! They're CRAZY

Yes I did. Poor things.

Just be thankful the Appocolyps Cow hasn't arrived. I hear she's 50 feet tall and shoots fire from her teets.

I went and got food this morning and the price of beef has not dropped at all here!!

The farmer will be the one to eat the price loss!!

That's right about the farmer eating the loss. It was the same with the Russian Grain Embargo. I still haven't forgiven Jimmy (the farmers friend) Carter about that. A bunch of money was lost back then.

I will always feel like Carter was the worst president in my time. And I go back to IKE!! I bought a new truck while he was in and paid 19.0 on the money!! I was dumb but I had trading fever!!

all my friends are all afraid to eat beef right now. They had chicken at work last night, I had them bring me a big juicy cheeseburger I think it sucks that the farmers are losing money over all this and I don't know about where you guys are but people here are getting paranoid.

I was in Junior high/high school back then. I was getting 15% and 16%+ on CDs (certificates of deposit)

Amy - I need to stay current with the news. I never seem to do that. Wasn't it just one cow from Canada? And that the problem is contained?

The city slickers are paranoid but most of us live or have lived on farms. I grew up on our family farm. The only thing I do different now than a few years ago is I cook it a little longer!! I think if you cook it enough it should not hurt you!!

But I may be wrong!!

Yes it was one canadian cow that was contained but the way the people are talking here you'd think a whole herd was infected the butchered and sold. People have a way of blowing stuff out of proportion here. They think there are more.

I saw where one place recalled 19000 pounds of meat!! Our cows never got that heavy!!

That isn't even half a truckload. Small potatos compared to the problem they have to deal with. I was hearing a report on the radio that the US beef industry won't get hit as hard as the Canadian one was earlier. The damage would be easier to absorb down here.

The brain and spinal cord and fluid is the bad part. If some jerk ground it up in burger I guess it would go a long way!! Back in 75 I was hauling swinging beef!! That was fun!!

For the uninformed, you have to let them know you were being sarcastic. I wouldn't wish swinging beef upon anyone!

Well, except for Lisa.

You do have to watch those quick lane changes and not just pull over on soft ground!! I was taking two loads of beef to Gulfport a week from Lexington Ky. Over weight after I found a back door in. And most times got bananas back. Even hauled some 55 gal. drums of sliced bananas!!

Save the cow, eat a beaver.

You must have talked to someone who knows me!!

I just saw where the bad meat may only be 10,000 pounds to throw away!!