AR-NEWS Digest 502 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) (HK) Disease fears trigger call to fight pollution by Vadivu Govind 2) (HK) Foreign experts' team swells to five in probe of killer flu by Vadivu Govind 3) (HK) Virus alert brings tighter checks on mainland poultry by Vadivu Govind 4) (HK) Fowl call on imports of chickens by Vadivu Govind 5) (HK) Scientists to examine swine flu strain by Vadivu Govind 6) (TH) Cheap goods to be sold at Dusit Zoo by Vadivu Govind 7) [UK] National Trust hunting ban upheld by David J Knowles 8) [UK] Ollie the escaped parrot ends up behind bars by David J Knowles 9) (US) Oklahoma Dove Hunting Information by JanaWilson@aol.com 10) Taiwan struggles to solve stray dog problem by LCartLng@gvn.net (Lawrence Carter-Long) 11) Biotech News: Selecting the Gender of Pigs by LCartLng@gvn.net (Lawrence Carter-Long) 12) Florida Times-Union: BBQ's Without The Beef by LCartLng@gvn.net (Lawrence Carter-Long) 13) Institutions that support bullfighting by "sa338@blues.uab.es" 14) Link-Mistake solved in Institutions that support bullfighting by "sa338@blues.uab.es" 15) King Royal Update by PAWS 16) Rep. Farr Condemns King Royal by PAWS 17) (MN) Ruling May Halt Goose Roundups by klaszlo@juno.com (Kathryn A Laszlo) 18) Vegetarian gets "mad cow" disease by NOVENAANN@aol.com 19) (US) Burger King Goes Burgerless by allen schubert Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 12:49:29 +0800 (SST) From: Vadivu Govind To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: (HK) Disease fears trigger call to fight pollution Message-ID: <199708220449.MAA13894@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >South China Morning Post Friday August 22 1997 Disease fears trigger call to fight pollution JANE MOIR The "filthy environment" is a breeding ground for disease and should be cleaned up, green groups said yesterday. Community health must be seen to be taken seriously, said Friends of the Earth director Mei Ng Fong Siu-mei. "It's about time our Department of Health made community health a top priority," she said. "Years ago we were told there were not enough health officers to check and monitor and do regular testing of samples. This should be an important role [in preventing disease outbreaks]," she said. The death of a three-year-old boy who had contracted influenza A (H5N1) - previously only seen in birds - should be taken as a warning, she said. "Our worsening air is unfortunately the ideal medium for transmission." This year, Hong Kong has seen an outbreak of cholera, linked to poor hygiene conditions in food processing factories and restaurants. Thirteen people were infected in May. For the new influenza strain, microbiologists are pointing to intermediary hosts as the route of transmission. Hong Kong University microbiologist Dr Ho Pak-leung said scientific evidence pointed to the influenza virus becoming airborne through pigs. Mounting evidence suggests new strains of the virus originate in domestic ducks, with rural China as an epicentre of infection. Pigs have receptors for both avian and flu viruses. "We're not exactly sure of the mechanism, but the virus could be inhaled," he said. Dr Ho said health officials could not rule out the possibility that people were carrying the virus. He urged all doctors to increase their awareness to spot potential carriers. Deputy Director of Health Dr Paul Saw Thian-aun said there were no plans to liaise with the private sector and ask it to submit samples for testing. Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 12:49:36 +0800 (SST) From: Vadivu Govind To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: (HK) Foreign experts' team swells to five in probe of killer flu Message-ID: <199708220449.MAA20127@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Hong Kong Standard 22 Aug 97 Foreign experts' team swells to five in probe of killer flu By Mary Ann Benitez and Lucia Palpal-latoc FOUR more influenza experts from the United States and Japan will be helping the Department of Health investigate how a three-year-old Hong Kong boy died from a flu strain previously known only to infect birds. The four scientists will join the team leader, a gene investigator from the influenza branch of theCentres for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, who arrived on Wednesday night. The Department of Health refused to release their names or titles. The team of five comprises epidemiologists, virologists and laboratory experts from the World Health Organisation's Influenza Collaborating Reference Laboratories. Three of them arrived on Thursday from their Atlanta office while another expert from a Tokyo laboratory is due to arrive on Friday. The foreign experts will collaborate with members of a special committee set up by the Department of Health to investigate the new flu strain, H5N1, which killed the boy on 21 May at Queen Elizabeth Hospital after an 11-day illness. It is the first case in the world in which H5N1, a virus previously known to infect only birds, has infected a human. Head of the Department of Health team, Dr Paul Saw Tian-aun, said he met the international team leader on Thursday to review the case. ``We have gone through the case, the information that we have and we have made a visit to the hospital.'' Dr Saw added that China had been kept informed about the flu incident through its World Health Organisation collaborating centres. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital said the boy was treated with ``various antibiotics'' in intensive care. He died from ``severe pneumonia and multiple organ failure''. A spokesman for the Atlanta-based disease centre, Tom Skinner, said the main objective was to try to determine if there was any evidence that the strain was being transmitted among the population. Another important aspect of the probe was to learn about the effect of the virus strain when it struck humans, he said. Director of Health Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun said the new flu strain could be an isolated case. ``We will trace all the leads given to us by family members. We expect to get more information in two to three weeks,'' she said. Dr Chan said the main focus of the foreign experts' investigation was on whether the strain had the ability to undergo significant genetic mutation. ``If it has a strong ability to transmit, if it can cause serious illness in man, and if it has gone through significant genetic changes, then we need to really be prepared for a significant health impact,'' Dr Chan said. Dr Daniel Lavenchy, head of the world body's influenza program, was confident foreign experts working with his office in Geneva would be able to report on the nature of the virus within two weeks. ``So far we could not trace any reliable source of the virus,'' Dr Lavenchy said. ``There were no direct contacts or pet birds in the home of that child.'' Dr Lavenchy said the boy's father was not a poultry farm worker either. Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 12:49:41 +0800 (SST) From: Vadivu Govind To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: (HK) Virus alert brings tighter checks on mainland poultry Message-ID: <199708220449.MAA19112@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Hong Kong Standard 22 Aug 97 Virus alert brings tighter checks on mainland poultry By Reggie Rathour and Lucia Palpal-latoc STEPPED-UP measures have been introduced by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department (AFD) to vet all poultry imported from China as the department also stepped up inspections of local chicken farms. Among the measures introduced last week is the requirement by the AFD's Import Control Section for poultry farmers in China to obtain health certificates from Chinese authorities before shipping their livestock here. The Veterinary Officer in charge of the department's laboratory in Castle Peak, Kitman Dyrting, said that despite the outbreak of the H5N1 virus among chickens in China in February, all poultry livestock were only inspected visually at the border to see if the chickens were clinically healthy. ``But since last week when we learnt of the child's death from the virus, our import control section now requires health certificates declaring that the consignment of livestock is healthy and free of the virus. ``In addition blood samples are taken from both imported and local chickens for antibody testing,'' Ms Dyrting said. The department also began a 10-day random blitz of 50 chicken farms in Hong Kong aimed at tracing any possible remnants of the influenza strain. The inspection started on Thursday with five farms in Yuen Long, where 90 per cent of the 150 farms are situated. AFD senior veterinarian Dr Barry Bousfield said the department had previously inspected farms that were affected by the outbreak, which killed 4,500 chickens in April. ``The disease burnt itself out and it has not been seen again in chickens since then,'' he said. ``This is just a backtracking to check if it still exists in these farms.'' Dr Bousfield insisted that the importation of poultry from China would not be banned because the transfer of the virus to the three-year-old boy was an isolated case. He said that normally, the AFD advises farm owners to vaccinate their chicken against flu. There is no vaccine for H5 flu however, he said. Hong Kong's 150 chicken farms produce 17,950 tonnes of birds a year. Chicken consumption last year was 69,250 tonnes. According to last year's trade figures, more than 36,000 birds were imported each day from across the border. On Thursday, the laboratory in Castle Peak took 80 blood samples for testing of H5N1 flu virus. The results of the tests will not be known until next month. Ms Dyrting explained that the tests were essential despite the delay in getting the results. The outcome would show whether the virus was still active in the territory. She said that based on their recent checks and monitoring, it was unlikely that other chickens in the territory could have been affected by the virus. ``If the virus is still active here, we would have heard about it from the farmers,'' she added. ``Their chickens would have died three days after being infected.'' Outbreaks of H5N1 occurred on three farms in Lau Fau Shan, where it killed 4,500 chickens in April. This followed outbreaks in Guangzhou in February and March, which killed 1.7 million chickens, costing farmers more than million yuan (HK$9.3 million). Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 12:49:49 +0800 (SST) From: Vadivu Govind To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: (HK) Fowl call on imports of chickens Message-ID: <199708220449.MAA20326@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Hong Kong Standard 22 Aug 97 Fowl call on imports of chickens By Reggie Rathour A POULTRY farmer has demanded the government curb live-chicken imports from the mainland, saying unrestricted imports had driven many farmers to the brink of bankruptcy. Chan Chung-kei operates a run-down farm in Kam Tin. He said there should be limits on the number of chickens allowed over the border. ``All other produce, such as rice and pigs, are controlled . . . why not chickens?'' Last year, Hong Kong imported more than 12 million chickens from the mainland. But Mr Chan said the figures did not tell the whole story. ``With so much corruption across the border, many Chinese farmers pay money under the table to ship their livestock here.'' He said large-scale cheap poultry imports from China had forced wholesale prices down dramatically in the past year from $10 to about $6 a catty. ``It's no longer financially viable for us to breed our own chickens,'' he said. Although there were about 150 poultry farms in the New Territories, many had scaled down their operations. Mr Chan said the recent flu case was the `nail in the coffin'' for small-time poultry farmers. He said numerous attempts had been made to persuade authorities either side of the border to restrict poultry imports. ``They've always turned a deaf ear to our complaints. ``I hope the authorities will now reconsider our plight with this recent case.'' Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 12:49:56 +0800 (SST) From: Vadivu Govind To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: (HK) Scientists to examine swine flu strain Message-ID: <199708220449.MAA01018@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Hong Kong Standard 22 Aug 97 Scientists to examine swine flu strain By Lucia Palpal-latoc A STRAIN of influenza which first affected pigs before crossing over to humans may help experts in understanding how an avian virus could be transmitted to human beings. The World Health Organisation will launch a project in China later this year to monitor the development of ``swine flu''. The plan was revealed a day after the Department of Health revealed that a three-year-old boy died after he was infected by the H5N1 flu strain, which was previously found only in birds and had never been known to strike humans. ``The idea is to study the virus which affects the pigs and how it is transferred to human beings,'' Dr Daniel Lavenchy, head of the WHO influenza program, said from Geneva on Thursday. The WHO had decided to study pig farms because some experts believed that they were among the most common transmitter of viruses to human beings, he said. When asked whether the study could help the WHO in its further studies on how H5N1 was transmitted to a boy, Dr Lavenchy replied: ``Probably in the long term it will help us understand the mode of transmission of the virus to humans.'' However, he said the nature of the new strain could be different from the swine flu. Experts from the University of Hong Kong and from China will be involved in the two-year project. A number of professors at HKU's department of zoology have already been involved in some studies on pig farms in China. Some of them have also been involved in the development of vaccines against the swine flu. Chairman of the Provisional Legislative Council's health services panel, Dr Tang Siu-tong, welcomed the WHO's project. ``Any studies on the mode of transmission of a virus from animals to human will be of great help in understanding new viruses that are discovered,'' he said. There are three H types of influenza affecting humans _ H1, H2, and H3. The H1, commonly known as swine flu, has been affecting humans since 1968. Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 12:50:04 +0800 (SST) From: Vadivu Govind To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: (TH) Cheap goods to be sold at Dusit Zoo Message-ID: <199708220450.MAA10807@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Bangkok Post 22 Aug 97 Cheap goods to be sold at Dusit Zoo Anjira Assavanonda Part of Dusit Zoo is to be turned into a temporary shopping plaza tomorrow. "Visit Khao Din, Eat Thai Food, Use Thai Products, Save Money" is the idea. Until next Sunday, people will be able to buy cheap goods from over 100 booths between 9am and 8pm. From Monday to Friday there will be a special promotion during which people can enter the zoo free between 4pm and 8pm. Popular singers will be on hand to provide entertainment. The country's only twin elephants, Jum-Jim, will be brought in from Khao Khiew Zoological Park. The Orang-utans Zuzu and her baby, from Sa Kaew Zoological Park, will be present. Usum Nimmanhaemin, director of the Zoological Park Organisation, said so far more than 200 shop owners from Bangkok and the provinces had offered to take part. The committee will have to choose about 100, since space is limited. Those who are chosen would be allowed to sell without charge, but will be asked to lower their prices as much as possible. According to Mr Sukhum, the idea will be applied to provincial zoos controlled by the organisation. He said numbers of zoo-goers had been increasing year by year, adding that this year the income of Dusit Zoo had increased five percent. But due to the slump and government cuts, admission prices might have to be raised to 30 baht per person. Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 20:21:02 -0700 (PDT) From: David J Knowles To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: [UK] National Trust hunting ban upheld Message-ID: <199708221209.IAA28119@envirolink.org> >From The Electronic Telegraph - Friday, August 22nd, 1997 National Trust hunting ban upheld By Charles Clover, Environment Editor=20 A HIGH Court judge has refused an appeal by hunters to overturn the National Trust's ban on deer hunting with hounds, choosing instead to give the go-ahead for a judicial examination next year. Justice Robert Walker asked the trust the reconsider its ban, calling the speed and secrecy with which it made the decision "a serious error of judgment", but stopped short of making an order compelling the trust's ruling council to reverse its decision of April 10. It was imposed within 36 hours of the publication of a study purporting to show that hunting caused unacceptable stress to deer. The judge said the report by Prof Patrick Bateson, an expert on animal behaviour at King's College, Cambridge, was not in scientific language. It had not been subject to "peer review" by other qualified experts and there had been some criticism of its contents since publication.=20 The judge also accepted evidence that at least one of the trust's 52-member council was having second thoughts about the ban. He refused, however, to grant an injunction to the Devon and Somerset Staghounds and the Quantock Staghounds allowing them to continue hunting with hounds on trust land in the 1997-98 season. He said that it would amount to deciding on matters of fact which could only be established by a full trial. His most serious criticism of the trust concerned its handling of Prof Bateson's findings, which the court was told were discussed by a small group of senior trust officials, including the chairman, Charles Nunneley, and director general, Martin Drury, at a meeting in January this year. Hunts, which had received assurances from Prof Bateson that hunting would be unaffected by his research, learned only in early April that the report might have serious consequences. The report was published at a press conference on April 9 at which Mr Nunneley said he would be recommending a ban to the ruling council at a meeting the next day. Council members had the 77-page report for a day before voting unanimously for a ban. Mr Justice Walker said the trust's chairman and his small group of officials who knew about the report's findings were "preoccupied and probably excessively preoccupied" with the need to make a quick, clean decision to deflect media criticism.=20 This led to "secrecy being preferred rather than the opportunity for further consultation and discussion".=20 The speedy timetable was "bound to impose pressure" on council members, however well-informed and diligent they may have been, at their meeting on April 10.=20 The judge said that if calm, quiet reflection was supposed to attend the council's consideration of serious questions, it was "an extraordinary decision" by Mr Nunneley to present the Bateson report at a press conference 36 hours before the council met. This seemed "very questionable".=20 A report in The Telegraph, which summarised Prof Bateson's report and gave Mr Nunneley's recommendation for a ban, was published on April 10 and was likely to have influenced councillors in their decision. However, Mr Justice Walker said that he was "very far from convinced" that this amounted to a conspiracy by trust staff to get hunting banned. He refused to allow a judicial review of the trust's decision, saying there was equivalent redress to be had using charities law. The judge ruled that the huntsmen did have an arguable "but not a strong" case for a further trial of the trust's decision.=20 Counsel for the National Trust, Michael Douglas, QC, said it would give "great weight" to the judge's suggestion that the decision to ban hunting be reconsidered by its council in the light of evidence not available or misunderstood at the time.=20 Janet George, a spokesman for the British Field Sports Society, said: "We are extremely pleased that the case is now going to trial." =A9 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.=20 [UK] National Trust hunting ban upheld Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 20:21:05 -0700 (PDT) From: David J Knowles To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: [UK] Ollie the escaped parrot ends up behind bars Message-ID: <199708221209.IAA28121@envirolink.org> >From The Electronic Telegraph - Friday, August 22nd, 1997 Ollie the escaped parrot ends up behind bars By Will Bennett=20 OLLIE the parrot's attempt to seek broader horizons will not go down as one of the most successful of escape attempts - he achieved the opposite of what generations of prisoners have tried to do by breaking into Wormwood Scrubs As his worried owner, Dot Oliver, searched for him, Ollie, an African Grey, got through the London prison's ventilation system into E Wing. There he was looked after by a man serving a life sentence and who keeps budgerigars. He grew so fond of the new cell-mate that he fed him his precious supply of chocolate biscuits. Ollie's stay behind prison bars ended after a metal identity tag enabled prison staff to contact Miss Oliver, 44, a legal secretary, who lives in Barnes, south-west London. She said: "I don't know what this man has done to get in prison but I think it would be nice to keep in touch with him. I am going to send him some photos of Ollie and a letter every three months to let him know how he is doing. Ollie actually came back fatter than when he went in. He would not eat bird seed so the man gave him a whole packet of chocolate digestives.=20 "The prison staff were fantastic. They said the man who looked after him said he did not want me to take him home." A prison spokesman said: "The parrot had come in through the vents in our E Wing. A lot of lifers tend to keep birds so they have a knowledge of them." =A9 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.=20 [UK] Ollie the escaped parrot ends up behind bars Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 10:53:15 -0400 (EDT) From: JanaWilson@aol.com To: AR-news@envirolink.org Subject: (US) Oklahoma Dove Hunting Information Message-ID: <970822105116_838874998@emout18.mail.aol.com> A/w local Oklahoma City hunting news: If you are looking for a place to hunt doves, the Oklahoma Wildlife Dept. can point you in the right direction with its 1997 Oklahoma Dove Hunting Maps available at the dept's headquartes located in Oklahoma City. Dove season opens on the first of Sept. These booklets contain maps showing the location of fields on department-owned wildlife management areas that have been managed to attract doves. More than 20 areas have received special attention in an effort to provide the best possible dove hunting opportunities. The booklets also provide maps of more than 4,200 acres of private land the dept. has leased especially for public dove hunting. The leases are in Logan, Kingfisher and Blaine counties. Mr. Alan Peoples, assistant game chief, says "We've really strived to provide high-quality public dove hunting, especially at some of our wildlife management areas. Dove hunting can be very fast-paced and exciting, so we encourage first-time hunters to make use of the public hunting opportunities available to them." Peoples also said that the Tulsa hunters should be able to find good hunting close by because portions of Fort Gibson, Keystone and Deep Fork Wildlife Area Management Areas have been managed for dove hunting. He added that most of the state- owned areas, even those not specifically managed for doves, are open to public dove hunting. A/w Peoples "Hunters are advised to scout these areas just prior to hunting. Weather conditions and subsequent agricultural activity can greatly impact the no. of birds using these dove hunting areas. The best bet is to scout a day or two before hunting, than concentrate your hunting where you have seen the most activity." For the Animals, Jana, OKC Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 09:42:07 -0700 From: LCartLng@gvn.net (Lawrence Carter-Long) To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: Taiwan struggles to solve stray dog problem Message-ID: <199708221636.MAA20115@envirolink.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Taiwan struggles to solve stray dog problem 01:22 a.m. Aug 21, 1997 Eastern By Uma Nithipalan TAIPEI, Aug 21 (Reuter) - Dogs in Taiwan can face a grim future. Some strays have been rounded up and dumped into pits to wallow and starve to death. Others drown after being locked in cages and thrown into rivers in an effort to curb their numbers, animial rights activists say. ``Taiwan is one of the worst places in the world to be a dog,'' according to the World Society for the Protection of Animals, which inspected Taiwan in February. The government estimates that up to 200,000 stray dogs live in the Taipei metropolitan area alone, and the number continues to multiply because most of the vagabonds have not been neutered. Residents see the problem as a growing menace. They complain of waste and noise from the animals that roam in such numbers and so freely as to seem an accepted part of the landscape. But animal rights activists blame irresponsible human owners and argue the strays are innocent victims. Whether dogs or humans are right, Taiwan's government says the uneasy relationship must end soon and plans to launch a major campaign to improve treatment for the strays. The campaign includes a budgeted T$6 million (US$206,897) to build shelters for stray dogs in southern Taiwan. Advocates for the canines praise the move, but say it is misguided. ``Their efforts are nice, but in the wrong direction,'' said Buddhist master Wu Hung, secretary-general of the Life Conservationist Association, one of several private organisations that promote animal rights. ``Building shelters for the strays is good, but it cannot quite solve the problem,'' Wu said. The monk said the government not only should try to find ways to keep the strays alive, it should find ways to kill them humanely, through euthanasia. ``It is more important to keep a balance on quantity,'' Wu said. Affluent Taiwan long has been accused by international groups like the World Society for the Protection of Animals for killing strays using brutal methods. In past years, captured strays were dumped into shallow pits to wallow and starve in a slow death. Others drowned after being locked in cages and thrown into rivers. WSPA crusaders say Taiwan also killed its strays by electrocuting and poisoning them. Taiwan's government admitted that brutal execution methods had been widespread on the island, but said it has ordered local administrations to be kinder and gentler. ``The (dog) catching done now is more humane. Last year they replaced the metal rods used to catch the dogs with the more animal-friendly nets,'' said Yang Su-er, a representative from Taipei's Bureau of Environmental Protection. ``Captured dogs are now executed through lethal injections or gas. I think that as long as the dog doesn't suffer, then it's okay for the dogs to be executed,'' Yang said. But some crusaders maintain that the government should punish not the strays, but those who caused the dogs to become strays -- their flighty masters. ``The government should institute a law to prevent people from abandoning their dogs,'' said Wang Li-ling, president of the private Help-Save-A-Pet Fund. ``People need to be educated to see if they are qualified to buy a dog. If they are inhumane and their living standard is not good, they should not even consider buying a dog,'' she said. Wang pointed to the advent of microchips as a promising way to rein in the strays' human deserters. Veterinarians can now place a microchip in a dog's ear as a form of identification, allowing authorities to contact owners of abandoned dogs. ``Microchip implanting is a good way to locate the dog deserters,'' Wu Hung said. Copyright 1997 Reuters Limited. -- Posted by: Lawrence Carter-Long Coordinator, Science and Research Issues Animal Protection Institute, phone: 916-731-5521 email: LCartLng@gvn.net world wide web: http://www.api4animals.org/ "Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of too much life by doing so. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something." -- Henry David Thoreau Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 09:43:17 -0700 From: LCartLng@gvn.net (Lawrence Carter-Long) To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: Biotech News: Selecting the Gender of Pigs Message-ID: <199708221637.MAA20207@envirolink.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Scientists Develop Method of Selecting the Gender of Pigs ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH Thu, Aug 21 1997 For four weeks beginning in April, scientists from the University of Missouri at Columbia met a Southwest Airlines jet each Wednesday evening at Lambert Field to pick up a specially packed box and drive it to their campus. Inside each box were small vials filled with a tiny amount of hog semen that earlier in the day had undergone a high-tech treatment to sort it into male and female components. Early the next morning, Mizzou researchers used the gender-separated semen to fertilize sow eggs in test tubes and later implant them in surrogate-mother sows. The result was a surprising scientific success: litter after litter of all-female or all-male piglets, marking the first successful gender sorting of swine. The most recent litter was born Aug. 6, researchers said Wednesday. The development could lead the way to more efficient hog production. It could also help researchers trying to genetically engineer hogs to provide hearts, kidneys and other organs that can be transplanted into humans. "We knew it would work," said Bill Day, a professor of animal science at the university who led the Missouri end of the cooperative project with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "But we didn't expect much more than an 85 percent success in predicting the gender." Of the 33 piglets born beginning in July at MU's Animal Science Research Center, 32 were born with the predicted sex. An all-female litter of eight piglets was the largest of the eight litters. The lone "miss" was a male in a litter with three females. Day was cautious when asked whether gender sorting was possible in humans. "We're working with pigs . . . . I honestly don't think of it otherwise," he said. He added that such issues were "up to society to determine, but there's obviously no reason the technology can't be transmitted from one mammal to another." The breakthrough was one of many over the past several years in animal reproductive technology. Among other techniques, scientists have developed ways to control the breeding time of cattle and hogs. MU has been a leader in this research, including test-tube fertilization technology. The gender-sorting process was developed by scientists with the Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Md. They were the ones who placed the vials on the jet in Baltimore. The process separates semen into two components - one containing sperm carrying the X, or female, chromosome and the other containing the Y, or male, chromosome. Scientists can sort the semen because the X chromosome has slightly more DNA than the Y chromosome. These chromosomes in the sperm determine the sex of the offspring. The gender-sorting technique was demonstrated a few years ago in cows by scientists with the Agriculture Department. The research reported Wednesday combined the Agriculture Department's ability to sort semen by gender and the MU technique for maturing swine embryos in test tubes. The problem is that the Agriculture Department's process is slow and separates many fewer sperm than needed for insemination. The solution is the MU test-tube fertilization technique, which requires only relatively small numbers of sperm. Among other potential benefits, the gender-separation technology could eventually help hog farmers, who desire females more than males in developing breeding stock. Normally, a litter would have half males and half females. Day cautioned that the finding was only one step among many still needed. "We have shown that this technology can be accomplished, but it will need to be improved before used in any commercial or medical applications," he said. Among other problems, the experimental litters aren't big enough to be of commercial value. And much more work needs to be done on the promising technology for genetically engineering pigs to produce organs for humans. (Copyright 1997) Copyright 1997, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. -- Posted by: Lawrence Carter-Long Coordinator, Science and Research Issues Animal Protection Institute, phone: 916-731-5521 email: LCartLng@gvn.net world wide web: http://www.api4animals.org/ "Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of too much life by doing so. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something." -- Henry David Thoreau Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 09:46:04 -0700 From: LCartLng@gvn.net (Lawrence Carter-Long) To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: Florida Times-Union: BBQ's Without The Beef Message-ID: <199708221640.MAA20483@envirolink.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Florida Times-Union: BBQ's Without The Beef Meat-free Barbecuing From black bean burgers to mushroom patties, vegetarians can make the most out of a barbecue, even when there's meat on nearly everyone's menu The Florida Times-Union Thu, Aug 21 1997 If having a slab of beef on a bun seems less tantalizing than tormenting, chances are the idea of a family barbecue fills you more with dread than delight. Maybe you're just sick of living in a meat-mad nation. Maybe you're tired of the same old hamburger and hot dog ritual. Or maybe sinking your teeth into anything that bleeds red when you bite into it makes you feel like another Draculesque Florida mosquito. So whether because of ethics or aesthetics, you've made the vegetarian choice. But what's a vegetarian to do when the family screams for summer barbecue? "We eat all the salad, and there's no salad for anybody," said Gil Weise, vegetarian and owner of Weise Natural Food Product Shoppe. "I just say all I want is some salad, and then when I get home I eat whatever I need to supplement my normal diet." "Sometimes people just don't understand," vegetarian Melanie Manuel said. "I'll say I don't eat meat, and they'll say, 'Here's a really good chicken dish.'... The last time I went to a barbecue, I ate fruit salad, baked beans and garlic bread." Sometimes, though, salad just isn't enough and treating yourself to a juicy lettuce-tomato-pickle-no-burger burger is the barbecue equivalent of eating the apple out of a roast pig's mouth. Being a die-hard greens-gulper doesn't have to mean boring barbecue and a long summer with nothing but potato salad, potato salad, and more potato salad in sight. Evelyn Harden, who attributes her good health and high energy at age 79 to her 30 years of vegetarianism, has had plenty of time to become familiar with many meat-free options. "You can buy things," Harden said. "You can get {meatless} hot dogs. They also have the nicest canned chicken made from grains and soybeans. You can make a patty out of vegetables, or take vegetables like onions and squash and just put them on the grill." The types of vegetarians are as varied as their reasons for not eating meat. Most people who eschew meat are ovo-lacto vegetarians who will eat products from live animals, such as eggs and milk. Then there are the vegans, who consume no foods produced by animals, living or dead -- up to, and often including, honey. Macrobiotics follow a diet whose roots lie in Zen Buddhism, trying to balance the forces of yin and yang (expansion and contraction) in their meals. At the center of the diet are whole grains and vegetables, though small amounts of fish can sometimes be included. Rawists think that cooking foods destroys vitamins, minerals and essential enzymes and plan diets for themselves of which at least 75 percent is uncooked. Fruitarians eat only fruits and those vegetables that are botanically classified as fruits (peppers, squash, tomatoes). The idea behind the diet is that, to fit into the scheme of things, humans must consume only those parts of plants that have evolved to be dispersed by creatures who consume them -- in other words, the parts containing seeds. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture studies, more than 50 million Americans are cutting back on their meat intake. People have started to turn away from animal products, the main source of disease promoting/aggravating substances such as saturated fat, cholesterol, excess protein and excess sodium, to plant products that contain the preventative beta carotene, vitamins E and C, fiber and folic acid. "My family is not vegetarian," said Mary Harden, who's seen first-hand the benefits of a meatless lifestyle from her husband's grandmother, Evelyn Harden. "They have cut down on meat, though, because everyone's aware of the health problems." So many, in fact, go veggie that entire product lines have been developed to cater to those who want the experience without the beef. Nasoya Foods, Inc., offers fat free, soy-based VegiBurgers and VegiDogs to replace the traditional type, as does Morning Star Farms. But what if you don't want to eat out of a box? Portobello mushrooms have long been hailed as a beef-burger substitute, but even their ever-juicy, smoky flavor can grow old over a Florida grilling season that stretches from April to September. Fortunately for vegetarians, there's more than one way to grill a veggie. BLACK BEAN BURGERS 1 14-ounce can black beans 1 small onion 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs 1/4 cup egg substitute Place onion and garlic in food processor and process until fine. Add well-drained black beans. Process until beans are in mashed consistency. Place in medium mixing bowl, add Cajun seasoning, bread crumbs and egg substitute. Mix thoroughly and shape into 4 patties. Place in well-greased grill basket or on grill, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on both sides. Yield: 4 servings. Source: Food TV Network BULGHUR BURGERS 3 cups water 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed 1 1/2 cups bulghur 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup chopped scallions 1/2 cup grated carrots 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup tahini 1 cup mashed chick peas 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Dash of ground black pepper Bring water to boil. While it is heating, use heavy pan or skillet to saute garlic and bulghur in oil on medium-high heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add boiling water. Return to boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until all water is absorbed and bulghur is soft but still chewy. When bulghur is ready, stir in scallions, carrots, parsley, tahini, chick peas, tomato paste, soy sauce, mustard and pepper. With moistened hands, form the bulghur mixture into 6 to 8 burgers. Grill in grill basket for 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Burgers should be firm to touch. Yield: 6 to 8 servings. Source: Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. FALAFEL 1 medium russet potato, baked, peeled, and mashed 3 cups (2 16-ounce cans) chick peas, drained and mashed 2 tablespoons toasted or regular tahini 1 tablespoon plain yogurt 1/2 cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs 2/3 cup finely chopped red onion 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons sweet paprika Dash cayenne pepper Pinch salt 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro 6 pita pockets or whole wheat burger buns In large mixing bowl, combine potato, chick peas, tahini, yogurt, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and cilantro. Mix well, using hands, until thoroughly blended. Shape mixture into 6 patties and place inside wire-mesh grill screen or directly on grill. Cook for about 15 minutes, turning once halfway through, until they've browned evenly. Do not overcook. Serve in pita pockets or burger buns. Yield: 6 servings. Source: Grilling from the Garden, by Diana Shaw VEGETARIAN MUSHROOM PATTIES 2 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons seasoned dried bread crumbs 2/3 cup low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 large eggs lightly beaten 2 1/4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese 2 ounces chopped walnuts or almonds 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Dash salt Dash freshly ground black pepper In large bowl, combine all ingredients until thoroughly blended. Shape mixture into 6 patties. Place patties in well-greased grill basket and grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until firm. Yield: 6 servings. Source: Weight Watchers Favorite Homestyle Recipes. SMOKED MOZZARELLA, TOMATOES AND HERBS 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1 small shallot, finely minced 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil 16 cherry tomatoes 2 cups cubed smoked mozzarella Combine olive oil, garlic, shallot and basil. Alternating tomatoes and cheese, thread onto skewers. Brush skewers with oil-and-herb mixture. Grill, turning often, until tomatoes char lightly and cheese gets gooey, about 6 to 8 minutes. Yield: 4 servings. Source: Grilling from the Garden, by Diana Shaw. INFOBOX TIPS FOR MAKING VEGGIE BUGERS Chop ingredients in food processor to make them smaller. This helps patties stick together better. Chill patties before grilling. Patties can also be frozen ahead of time and then transferred straight from freezer to grill, though this increases cooking time slightly. Cook in grill basket which has been thoroughly oiled. Use paper towel to wipe oil over all of basket. Spraying with non-stick cooking spray doesn't work well. Use fire that is about four "Mississippis." It should be hot enough so that you can hold your hand for a count of "one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi, four-Mississippi" without pulling hand back. TIPS FOR VEGGIE SKEWERS Use skewers with either a flat prong or a double prong so that when you turn skewer, vegetables actually turn with it. Leave space between vegetables on skewers to help them cook more evenly. Placing similar items on same skewer cuts down on visual appeal, but makes cooking easier. Potatoes cook slower than mushrooms, which cook slower than cheese. Copyright 1997, The Florida Times-Union. -- Posted by: Lawrence Carter-Long Coordinator, Science and Research Issues Animal Protection Institute, phone: 916-731-5521 email: LCartLng@gvn.net world wide web: http://www.api4animals.org/ "Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of too much life by doing so. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something." -- Henry David Thoreau Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 18:42:28 +0200 From: "sa338@blues.uab.es" To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: Institutions that support bullfighting Message-ID: <33FDC174.72A2@blues.uab.es> MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit I am Nuria from Barcelona. Please read about several Institutions that suport torture http://www.geocities.com/heartland/ranch/1231/support-toros.htm Thanks for your concern Nuria http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/3787 Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 18:44:26 +0200 From: "sa338@blues.uab.es" To: ar-news@envirolink.org Cc: sa338@blues.uab.es Subject: Link-Mistake solved in Institutions that support bullfighting Message-ID: <33FDC1EA.768C@blues.uab.es> MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit sa338@blues.uab.es wrote: > > I am Nuria from Barcelona. > Please read about several Institutions that suport torture > > http://www.geocities.com/heartland/ranch/1231/promote-toros.htm > > Thanks for your concern > > Nuria http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/3787 Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 13:06:58 -0400 (EDT) From: PAWS To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: King Royal Update Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII City Gets Elephants Until Trial: Circus Case Could Take Up to 2 Years State District Judge Susan Conway on Thursday compared King Royal Circus to an abusive parent and gave the city of Albuquerque temporary custody of 10 animals taken from the company's trailer. The city had seized the two elephants and eight llamas after police discovered them in the hot, cramped trailer with one dead elephant. After 1 1/2 days of testimony and viewing the surviving animals Wednesday evening, Conway awarded the city custody until the full case comes to trial--which could be as much as two years away. In her ruling, Conway likened the case to one in which a child dies under suspicious circumstances. It could be that the child was abused and neglected, or it could be "a tragedy in which no one is to blame," she said. "The evidence in this case shows that the respondents (the circus and its handler Benjamin Davenport) are to blame," Conway said. "I am delighted," Mayor Martin Chavez said of Conway's decision, which he said "has national implications for the protection of animals." Chavez said he understands it is the first time a U.S. municipality has successfully intervened for custody in a case of animal abuse. "I'm not one to say that animals should never be used in circuses but here there was a case of abuse," said Chavez who said the animals are "thriving" in the city's care at San Gabriel Park. Meanwhile, the USDA slapped the Texas-based circus with a 21-day suspension earlier this week. The suspension, filed under the federal Animal Welfare Act, means that King Royal cannot exhibit any animals for 21 days and a USDA investigation of the circus is under way. King Royal also has been cited by the city of Albuquerque on suspicion of cruelty to animals, leaving animals unattended in a vehicle, and improper care and feeding of an animal. But final resolution of the city's civil custody battle with the circus won't be any time soon, lawyers say. Assistant City Attorney Greg Wheeler--who argued the case with Assistant City Attorney Patricia Williams--said a trial could be anywhere from 6 months to 2 years away. "It's up to the judge, " Wheeler said. Attorney Ron Koch, who represents the circus and teh 23-year-old Davenport, called Conway "a good judge and a fair judge (who) did what she thought was appropriate." Though Koch said "it could take quite a while " for the case to come to trial, he said, "We'll live with that." conway said Thursday she found the space in which the animals traveled "inhumanely small" and "inadequately ventilated." Davenport testified Thursday that he had driven the animals from Las Vegas on August 3 to Dillon, Colorado, where he first noticed the 8 year old elephant named Heather was getting sick. After consulting by phone with his father, circus owner John Davenport, he drove the animals to Albuquerque--and it was at a truck stop just west of Albuquerque that he knew Heather had died. Although Davenport testified he made frequent short stops to feed and water the animals and clean out the trailer, conway noted he never took the animals out and exercised them during the entire 400-mile Nevada-to-colorado trip. "It would have made the circus late," she said. Conway waid it was clear to her that "the elephants are bonded to Mr. Davenport," but, she added, "that doesn't mean they weren't abused...we all know that children bond to abusive parents." conway also found there was substantial evidence that the stress of travel, an "admittedly wrong" diet and an improperly ventilated trailer--which officials said could have reached 120 degrees while parked in the Albuquerque hote lot--all contributed to heather's death. Tests showed she died of a septicemic salmonella bacterial infection, zoo veterinarian Dr. Brett Snyder testified Wednesday. Surviving elephant Donna and Irene also were found to be carrying salmonella bacteria, but Irene, a larger Asian elephant, didn't hav an active case, Snyder said. Conway said Thursday there would be substantial harm to Donna--who has put on 140 pounds in less than two weeks--if she were fiven back to King Royal Circus "in her recently improved condition." conway--who earlier threw out the city's original request to force Davenport to remain with the animals--said Thursday she would allow circus handlers to attend to the animals "and I encourage them to do so." conway also had turned down the city's request for a lien on the circus--to cover the cost of the animals' upkeep. The city has said caring for the 10 animals cost several hundred dollars a day. But conway also rejected King Royal's request that the city post a bond or security against any possible award to the circus in the final resolution of the case. "The city is good for any damages that might accrue," Conway said. "The city is not going anywhere." ********************** PAWS will keep you posted as the case continues. PLEASE continue to pressure the USDA to confiscate animals and PERMANENTLY revoke King Royal's license. Secretary Daniel Glickman USDA 14th St. and Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 (202) 720-3631 PLEASE don't stop calling and writing now. The USDA is in a decision-making process and it is imperative that they continue to hear from us. Thank you! Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 13:52:16 -0400 (EDT) From: PAWS To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: Rep. Farr Condemns King Royal Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Congressman Sam Farr, Representative from the 17th Congressional District in California has issued the following press release about the King Royal Circus: Washington, August 22, 1997: I am distressed but not surprised to learn of another serious occurrence of animal abuse where the King Royal Circus is responsible. On August 6th, the Albuquerque, New Mexico police department was called to investigate a suspicious looking van parked in the area. Opening the van, the officers found a horrible sight...badly dehydrated exotic animals tightly packed in the van and tragically, a baby African elephant dead on the van floor. This circus has a well-documented history of animal abuse citations going back several years. The USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), whose responsibility it is to enforce the law protecting animals such as these, must intervene now to stop this horrific pattern of animal abuse by this circus. APHIS must take immediate steps to revoke any and all licenses that this circus has to show animals. I have contacted the Secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman, as well as responsible APHIS officials in Washington to express in the strongest terms the need for maximum sanctions against this repeated offender of the Animal Welfare regulations. Not only is this an issue of animal abuse, it is also about public safety. APHIS cannot ignore the very real danger that exists when the public is invited to ride on circus elephants. And when there are documented instances of abuse of animals by those who would show them...the possibilities of accidents rise dramatically. Circuses who abuse and mistreat their animals should be out of business. The public safety is at stake and the Animal Welfare Act makes it the law. APHIS must take action now. Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 16:55:49 EDT From: klaszlo@juno.com (Kathryn A Laszlo) To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: (MN) Ruling May Halt Goose Roundups Message-ID: <19970822.171107.6487.1.KLaszlo@juno.com> Published Aug 22, 1997 Federal Judge Revokes Permits That Allow Roundup Of Canada Geese Dean Rebuffoni/Star Tribune Minneapolis -- A federal judge on Thursday revoked permits that allow the annual roundup of nuisance Canada geese in the Twin Cities area, ruling that two federal agencies violated their own regulations by issuing the permits. U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle's decision, which came on a lawsuit by animal-rights advocates, does not affect the latest roundup, which ended in July. About 4,300 goslings were captured and relocated out of the area; 1,300 adult geese were slaughtered, and their meat was donated to area food shelves. However, the ruling could affect future roundups in the 15-year-old effort to control the metro area's burgeoning goose population. Even so, the decision is not a clear-cut victory for the animal-rights advocates, who sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Interior Department. That's because the ruling, issued in St. Paul, focuses on the process by which the agencies approved special permits for the two most recent roundups. Kyle did not decide whether a major environmental-impact study is needed before the control program can be resumed. Indeed, the judge said he has "grave doubts" that the animal-rights advocates will prevail if they again ask the federal courts to order such a study. He said they "have presented no evidence to show that the metro-area goose population will be destabilized or otherwise placed in jeopardy by destroying the limited number of geese specified" in the federal permits. On the contrary, Kyle said, evidence in the case indicates that the metro goose population "is not only thriving, but in certain areas has increased so much as to become a public nuisance." The Justice Department attorneys who represented the federal agencies could not be reached Thursday for comment. Although the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) oversees the goose roundups, it is not a defendant in the suit, and its officials had not yet reviewed the decision. The suit was filed by three nonprofit groups: the Humane Society, its Minnesota affiliate, and Friends of Animals and Their Environment (FATE), a Twin Cities-based organization. Their attorney, Richard Duncan of Minneapolis, praised Kyle's decision. "It ends probably the single most wasteful DNR wildlife-management program," he said. "It spends $75,000 of taxpayers' money every year, but really doesn't control the number of geese, because they come back. "These poor birds are being treated inhumanely for no sound scientific purpose," Duncan said. "The DNR should put this program to bed. It should donate that $75,000 to food shelves, where it would do some real good for people." In his decision, Kyle noted that the Fish and Wildlife Service and Interior Department are charged with administering the U.S. regulations derived from the Migratory Bird Treaty, a pact with Canada and Mexico. Migratory birds such as Canada geese cannot be captured or killed except in compliance with those regulations. Violations are criminal acts, and a defendant's allegation that a bird is so abundant that it no longer needs protection is not a valid defense, Kyle said. Originally, he said, the federal permits that allow the DNR to manage the goose roundups "focused on activities intended to protect the geese." Birds of giant Canada goose subspecies, the type commonly found in the Twin Cities, were once considered extinct, or nearly so. However, the metro area's goose population has grown from about 500 birds in 1968 to more than 25,000. The birds' remarkable recovery has been aided by the area's urbanization, which greatly diminished goose predation by other wild animals. Also, many local communities prohibit goose hunting for safety reasons, and converting the area's timber and brush to lawns and golf courses has greatly increased the amount of grass preferred by geese, which are grazers. Geese droppings foul area lawns, walkways, beaches and golf courses, and there is concern about the big birds colliding with aircraft near airports. As the goose population grew and complaints about the birds increased, the DNR started relocating geese to northern Minnesota and to other states. The DNR also allows special goose-hunting seasons in parts of the area and in recent years has permitted the killing of geese for distribution to local food shelves. Although the DNR says the program has been an environmental and societal success, it has prompted lawsuits by animal-rights advocates. They contend that there are less lethal alternatives for controlling the bird's population. One such suit was rejected last year by Kyle, who said the advocates had failed to show that their ability to enjoy viewing geese would be irreparably harmed if several thousand of the birds were moved or killed. He also said that while federal officials may not have followed the rules granting permits to the DNR, they did provide evidence that limiting the goose population is needed to prevent risks to aircraft and possible public health problems. This time, however, Kyle took issue with the process by which the federal agencies issued permits for the 1996 and 1997 goose roundups. He noted that one Wildlife Service regulation states that it may only issue such permits upon "receipt of evidence clearly showing that migratory birds" are seriously damaging farm crops or commercially grown fish. The Wildlife Service failed to meet that requirement, Kyle determined. He also said that the service and the Interior Department "failed to comply with their own regulations in issuing these permits. By disregarding the very regulations which they are charged with enforcing, defendants have acted outside of their statutory authority, constituting more than harmless error." Still, Kyle said, his decision "does not constitute a determination" that conservation agencies cannot conduct a goose roundup that complies with current regulations. He said "the real problem" is that those rules "did not contemplate such a burgeoning population of once nearly extinct birds." As a result, the regulations "have failed to consider that there may be a need to lower any one bird population because it is a nuisance," he said. Copyright 1997 Star Tribune | Minneapolis-St.Paul Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 20:02:21 -0400 (EDT) From: NOVENAANN@aol.com To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: Vegetarian gets "mad cow" disease Message-ID: <970822200220_-435835341@emout17.mail.aol.com> LONDON (AP) - A young woman who has been a vegetarian for 12 years has contracted a strain of the incurable human brain ailment linked to ``mad cow'' disease, her father said Friday. Clare Louise Tomkins, 24, has been ill for 10 months and was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease two weeks ago, Roger Tomkins said. The Times of London, The Guardian of London and other news agencies reported that Miss Tomkins' doctor had diagnosed her and that she was believed to be the 22nd case of the new variant of CJD. The doctor was not immediately available to confirm the reports. Firm diagnosis of the disease in humans is extremely difficult because it involves biopsy of brain tissue. Eleven years ago, scientists detected the first cases of mad cow disease - bovine spongiform encephalopathy - in Britain's cattle herds. In 1995, Britain announced that a new variant of CJD was linked to eating meat from animals who had mad cow disease. The European Community imposed a total ban of the export of British beef. Professor John Pattison, dean of London's University College Medical School, said Friday it was very likely that Miss Tomkins suffered from the new variant. ``The fact that this woman was a vegetarian for such a long time is an unusual feature and we will think about what the implications for that are,'' he said. ``But I don't think it invalidates our thinking at the moment, which is that new variant CJD was probably caused by infected animal tissue.'' Pattison said the woman could have caught CJD before the first case of mad cow disease was identified in 1986. ``The first infections in cows must have been occurring from probably 1981 to 1983,'' he said. ``If this young lady stopped eating meat in 1985, we are just within the margins when she might or might not have been exposed because of her meat eating.'' Miss Tomkins' father said it never occurred to the family that she might have CJD because she was such a strict vegetarian. ``She ate cheese and milk but would not touch anything like biscuits if they had meat products in them,'' he said. Professor Richard Lacey, a microbiologist who was among the first scientists to warn of a mad cow disease threat to humans, said scientists should not dismiss the possibility that Miss Tomkins contracted the illness from drinking milk. Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 20:10:23 -0400 From: allen schubert To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: (US) Burger King Goes Burgerless Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970822201020.006d1fbc@clark.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" If only Burger King had a real veggie burger (like in UK)....... from AP Wire page: ------------------------------------- 08/22/1997 19:32 EST Burger King Goes Burgerless By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press Writer Ham-and-cheese and BLT sandwiches replaced Whoppers at 700 Burger Kings around the nation Friday as the largest meat recall in U.S. history sent the fast-food chain scrambling for ground new beef suppliers. Some diners were keen on the burgerless Burger Kings while others walked out the door. ----------- ``You can't have Burger King without burgers,'' said David Clouse as he left one of the restaurants in Arapahoe County, Colo. ``It's just not the same.'' Tierney Smith of Columbus, Neb., said the ham-and-cheese she selected instead of a double cheeseburger had fewer calories, ``and that's good for me.'' Burger King, the nation's second-largest fast-food chain behind McDonald's, came up beef short after it cleared its stores of patties supplied by Hudson Foods Inc., the source of burgers blamed in an E. coli outbreak that sickened fewer than two dozen people in Colorado in early June. Miami-based Burger King said 1,650 of its restaurants in 28 states were affected by the expanded recall Thursday of 25 million pounds of hamburger processed at a Hudson Foods plant in Columbus, Neb., but 950 of the restaurants got new beef supplies by Friday. Other Burger Kings in the chain didn't use Hudson as a supplier. ``Absolutely, customers are concerned,'' said Paul Clayton, North American president of Burger King Corp. ``Obviously, our sales are probably not what we'd want them to be.'' Spokesmen for rival chains McDonald's and Wendy's said it was too soon to tell whether their business had increased or whether people were avoiding hamburgers altogether because of Thursday's expanded recall. Hudson also supplied ground beef for some Boston Markets restaurants and frozen beef patties sold at Safeway, Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. All have removed the meat from their shelves. At first, 20,000 pounds of beef were recalled Tuesday, but it was expanded when the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited problems with records for tracing meat production. Hudson Foods agreed to recall all the beef that had been processed at the plant and to shut down the plant until stronger safety recommendations were met. There was no indication when the plant might reopen. ``We are confident that the plant is ready to open as soon as the USDA is ready to come in and take a look at it,'' said Hudson spokesman Robert Udowitz. He said it was too early to estimate how much the recall and the plant shutdown will cost the company. The USDA said the contamination didn't occur at the plant but at one of Hudson's suppliers. It wasn't known which one sent Hudson the tainted beef. People with Hudson hamburgers in their freezer were urged to return them to the place where they purchased them, said USDA spokeswoman Jacque Knight said. All of the meat will then be returned to Hudson, which will decide whether to burn it or render it into pet food, she said. ---------- Clayton said Burger King pulled the meat as a precaution. It maintains a separate production line at the plant and its own testing showed no contamination. In addition, the chain's flame-broiled cooking system guarantees beef is cooked at least to the 155-degree temperature that kills E. coli bacteria, he said. ``No tainted beef made its way to Burger King,'' Clayton said. Meanwhile, Burger Kings doing without hamburgers extended their breakfast menus into the lunch hour, urging customers to check out the pork patties and other beefless offerings. Bacon, lettuce and tomato and ham-and-cheese sandwiches were added to menus. ------------- ``To tell the truth, even though they've had this recall, I've still been eating beef,'' said Alan Russell, 27, as he ordered chicken for himself and his son at a Burger King drive-through in northwest Omaha. ``I guess it just doesn't bother me like it does some people.'' Burger Kings that carried Hudson beef are in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.