intelforum-Digest V2001 #686

[David Honig]

At 11:30 PM 4/8/01 EDT, EditInk500 at aol.com wrote:
>Re: Hoof and Mouth Disease (HMD)-In a recent article, a representative for
>the Kenyan Masai "regretted" the number of cattle killed simply because they
>had sores in their mouths or hooves. They asked that such infected cattle be
>sent to them as they have lived with HMD for as long as the history of the
>Masai have been recorded--with no adverse effects. It is not transmittable to
>humans, and common herbs and potions are used to alleviate the animals
>suffering, which is much like having a common cold.  If the infection is
>severe, the animal is isolated until it gets better. As far as HMD being a
>product of eco-bioterroism, the Masai disputed this and blamed the infections
>on the increase in air traffic from Africa to England, Europe and elsewhere,
>where infected meat products are often taken as gifts to relatives or to eat
>on a trip. Lastly, the Masai representative asked that the infected cattle be
>sent to them "because they needed them." Suspected terrorism is often only in
>the eye of the beholder.
>
>DVWilson Ph.D.

You neglect to mention that the Masai think all cattle, everywhere, are
'theirs'
by divine right.

Their major asset/investment is their cows, and being pre-industrial &
poor, they don't
kill the less productive (HMD-infected) animals.  In the west it is an
economic
decision to kill them ---they are more costly (aka less efficient) to raise
than
uninfected animals.

If a western country were widely infected (intentionally or not)
it would have two choices: kill all the animals & dispose of their bodies;
or decide that from then onward, that country would have HMD, and lose
some international trade.  (And get your shoes bleached when you get off
the plane.)
For some places (e.g., Australia, NZ, Wyoming) where trade in hoofed animal
products is
a big deal, this would be a big deal.

....

Now back to your regularly scheduled bickering about who's more patriotic,
CIA assasins or FBI polygraphers...

D Honig



















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