Protect Your Family

     

The federal government is ignoring what very well may be the next "true" pandemic this country may face. The dairy industry is the carrier of the disease and the USDA and FDA are fully aware of the impending disaster but will take no action to prevent exposure to the population. The name of the disease is Johne's (pronounced "Yo-nees").

What is this impending disease and why should this concern us? Johne's disease is a chronic, contagious bacterial disease that affects the small intestine of ruminants such as cattle, sheep, goats, deer, antelope and bison. All ruminants are susceptible to Johne's disease. The disease is incurable and related to the human version of Crohn's disease. The human version is similar in its form causing an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and malnutrition. There is no known cause for either disease.

How is the US Government complicit in the possible spread of this disease one may ask? The USDA and FDA are completely aware of the condition in the dairy industry. They are also aware of the relation between the bovine infestation and its ability to transmit to humans. The solution the government has chosen is not eradication of the infected herds but irradiation of milk products. The argument for irradiation is the premise that irradiating the milk will kill the infection. The infection lives in the fecal matter and irradiation does not remove the fecal matter from the milk. It is still present in every glass someone drinks from a production farm. If someone handed you a spoon of irradiated manure and told you it was safe to eat I doubt one would take a bite. Why do we accept this in our milk? The government accepts this level of contamination in milk and has no intention of intervening.

Many will question how wide-spread the contamination is in the dairy industry and does this really need to be a concern. In the U.S. it is estimated that 7.8% of the beef herds and 22% of the dairy herds are infected with M. paratuberculosis. Infection rates in cattle in other countries are generally similar. This is a low estimate by some accounts. The problem in the dairy industry is not simply how many cattle have the disease. Even if it one agrees the infection rate is only 22% the problem is greater than it appears. The milk from the infected 22% is mixed in the same container as the uninfected cattle. Outcome, 100% of the milk is infected at this stage and irradiation is the accepted remedy. My original question remains, care for a spoon of manure? The government tells us it is safe.

The dairy industry continues to milk the infected dairy cattle and has no motivation to stop. Why? The government regulations do not prohibit them from using these cattle until they die from the disease. It is financially in their interest to keep these cattle rather than culling and replacing the herd. Remember, there is no cure. The only way to eliminate the disease from a herd is elimination of all infected cattle and equipment. The disease lives in the manure and any equipment it contacts becomes contaminated and a carrier.

The element of our society who should be the impetus to stop this infection is absent. The press is not concerned because it does not fit in their agenda. They should be at the forefront of identifying this impending crisis and highlighting it to the populace. The problem is they no longer do investigative reporting. The press has become complacent and waits for the government to hand them "news" stories. No wonder they are failing, people do not trust them any longer and for good reason. If they attacked this story they would go up against large conglomerates, the federal government, including the senators and representatives who have interests in their districts to keep the current system in place.

I am a free market advocate who believes in minimal government. The free market would correct itself because consumers would demand a change to operation procedure. The problem is the failure of the press to highlight the contamination of our milk supply. They will not do this while they are lapdogs of a burgeoning federal government. This is why the founders warned against such a strong central government. We are now bound to them as an agent to protect the food supply and they no longer care. They are more concerned with creating a larger, more centralized government in their zeal to control our lives.

What can you do about this problem? The federal government will not help you. Stop buying milk from any supplier who does not certify their milk as contamination free. If you can raise a cow or goat, than do so to protect your family. Choose an alternative to dairy if possible, soy milk or some other product. The federal government will tell us there is no known connection between the dairy and human version. How much do you trust the government? Go on; take a bite of that spoon.

January 9, 2010