OFF: Re: Foot & Mouth

[Carl Edlund Anderson]

At 20.38 -0500 21.3.2001, Douglas Pearson wrote:
>As I understand it, although the disease is not *fatal* to animals, it
>renders them *economically* worthless (or at least less valuable - I'm not
>clear on the reasons for this, but I would assume that it causes the
>animals to "waste away" to some extent, decreasing milk production or
>amount of usable meat), which, to a farmer/rancher, IS essentially the same
>as killing it.

And at 02.47 -0500 22.3.2001, Mark Von Bargen wrote:
>A couple of the more easily understood descriptions are that:
>Foot & Mouth is extremely virulant and does not affect just one animal.
>A number of reports have described it as similar to Human 'flu, spreading
>like wildfire.
>OK, it does not kill the animals but just think what a bad dose of flu does
>to you and me.

OK. So like with a bad case of flu, first the cow gets sick, then the
cow gets better. Meanwhile, surely a slightly peaky cow is more
useful than a dead one? From what I understand, you can cook and eat
a critter that was absolutely rife with foot-and-mouth perfectly
safely, and even if you are unlucky enough to catch something from
it, it's going to be nothing compared to the foul cold you caught
staggering in the end-of-winter cold and wet. Thank heavens no one
shoots me and burns me when I get the flu and can't make it in to
work.

"Not clear on the reasons for this" I think sums it up. What about
this paltry little disease that makes spazzing over it worth 9
*billion* quid is entirely unclear, and any explanation is completely
absent in gov't statements or media coverage while they all wrestle
back and forth over what to kill when. I think that's what really
irks me abou this.

Hmmm, I'm waaay off topic. I think this issue has just put some kinda
burr under me saddle.  Everyone is being led along by the nose (or
foot, or mouth ;) without ever asking why. Besides: durn it, these
days my taxes go to pay for this sort of folly. I'm not sure whether
this is better or worse than the bombs my former US taxes paid for ;)

Cheers,
Carl

ObCD: Hawkwind, _Electric Teepee_, "Right to Decide".
--
Carl Edlund Anderson
mailto:cea at carlaz.com
http://www.carlaz.com/