What's the beef? Mad Cow disease hits the United States. From: Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication | Date: February 6, 2004 | COPYRIGHT 2004 Weekly Reader Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

MABTON, Wash. -- The 6-year-old cow stumbled around, barely able to support its own weight. It cocked its head to the side, staring straight ahead with blank eyes. Aware of the cow's feeble state, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors at the slaughterhouse tested the animal for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, as part of a routine surveillance program. BSE is a fatal disease of cattle that affects the animals' brains. By the time the ...