The disease believed to be caused by a "self-replicating" protein (a prion) rather than a bacterium or virus. This is similar to “Scrapie” and "Chronic Wasting Disease." Scrapie a common prion disease found in sheep and chronic wasting disease has been diagnosed sporadically in wild mule deer, white-tailed deer and elk in north-central Colorado since 1981. To date mad cow disease has been confined primarily to Europe with one additional case in Canada.
Epidemiological data suggests that feeding cattle rendered protein produceds from the carcasses of scrapie-infected sheep caused the disease in Britain. The practice of using products such as meat and bone meal in cattle rations, as a source of protein has been common for several decades. The prion appears to be little affected by conventional stylization methods such as heat. This is why cooked meat and meat byproducts can still pose a potential health hazard to humans and livestock.
What are public health authorities doing in the US?
At a meeting in Washington with people from the American agricultural sector, veterinary medicine, USDA, and cattlemen groups, ruminant (cattle and sheep) -based feeds are already excluded in the US on a voluntary basis, but this will soon become an FDA regulation.
To safeguard the United States the FDA Proposed rules to limit the use of ruminant derived meat and bone meal in ruminant feeds (similar to the British SBO) were published in the January 3, 1997 Federal Register (Volume 62, Number 2, Page 551-583). Such rules would limit potential spread of prion disease in US cattle from any spontaneous cases or from species in the US, which are known to have prion diseases (deer, elk, mink).
Could "Mad Cow Disease" be Transmitted to Lamas?
The evidence points to animal byproducts being feed to ruminant livestock as the source of the disease. The protein (prion) is found in the brain and spinal column of infected animals. Bone Meal from an infected animal could transmitted this disease and for that reason Stillwater Minerals dropped bone meal from its Lama-Min product line over seven years ago on the advice of their consulting livestock nationalist. Other respected Lama nutritionist agreed over five years ago that bone meal should not be used in mineral supplements as a precaution because of the potential of transmitting mad cow disease. The FDA proposed banning the use of ruminant derived bone meal in ruminant’s feed four years ago.
Yet to this day some llama and alpaca minerals supplements still contain “Bone Meal.”
The following is a list of ingredients taken from a leading manufacturer of llama and alpaca mineral supplements own web site showing all three contain “bone meal.”
Supplement # 1 Ingredients: Dried molasses, salt, steamed bone meal, zinc methionine complex, limestone, Vitamin E supplement, roughage products, mineral oil, magnesium oxide, manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, sodium selenite, manganese proteinate, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, Vitamin D3 supplement, cobalt sulfate, calcium iodate.
Supplement # 2 Ingredients: Dried molasses, salt, mono-sodium phosphate, steamed bone meal, zinc methionine complex, limestone, Vitamin E supplement, mineral oil, magnesium oxide, manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, sodium selenite, manganese proteinate, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, Vitamin D3 supplement, cobalt sulfate, calcium iodate
Supplement # 3 Ingredients: Dried molasses, salt, mono-sodium phosphate, steamed bone meal, zinc methionine complex, limestone, Vitamin E supplement, mineral oil, magnesium oxide, manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, sodium selenite, manganese proteinate, Vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, Vitamin D3 supplement, cobalt sulfate, calcium iodate.
Check your llama and alpaca feed and vitamin and mineral supplements for the presents of bone meal.
Stillwater Minerals continues to lead the way in llama and alpaca nutrition by being the first to increase the levels of Vitamin D to combat rickets. The first to offer electrolytes and Vitamin B’s to help combat stress. Added addition levels of the mineral zinc to combat chronic skin and fiber problems. Stillwater Minerals continues to support llama and alpaca research and as that research points the way to better nutrition you can rest assured that Stillwater will continue to improve our products for the animals we all love.
The above press release has been provided by Stillwater Minerals manufacturing quality vitamin and mineral supplements specifically formulated for llamas and alpaca since 1989. For more information or to order Stillwater Minerals go to www.StillwaterMinerals.com or call 800-255-0357