Re: organic fertilizers- mad cow

>Hi all-
>
>I was listening to the news of the mad cow case in Canada just before going
>out to fertilize my garden this AM, and it gave me pause to wonder if there
>are any risks to humans handling things like bone meal, blood meal or
>manure?  Does anyone have info on this?


I have access to the database of the National Library of Medicine and 
I did a literature search on connections between Mad Cow Disease 
(bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE) and bonemeal.   While it 
seems that the use of bonemeal as feed for cattle has been linked to 
transmission in those animals, there is no published data to suggest 
that the casual use of bonemeal poses a threat to humans.  This 
presumes, of course, that we are not eating the stuff.  I don't 
believe that blood meal or manure has ever been shown to be a route 
of transmission of BSE.

-- 
Don Martinson
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
l*@wi.rr.com

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