National Rural News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Australia's status as a country free from mad cow disease has officially been confirmed by the world's leading animal health agency. The World Organisation for Animal Health also recognised New Zealand, Uruguay and Argentina as BSE-free. [News Source]

Cal Poly starts high-tech cattle trend (KSBY-TV) The U.S. cattle industry almost came to a screeching halt when Mad Cow was discovered in 2003, now there is technology to keep herds disease-free. [News Source]

Mad cow disease could spread naturally (The Scotsman) Mad cow disease and similar infections may be spread naturally in the wild when animals lick each other, according to a study by US scientists. [News Source]

Intl Decision On BSE Standards Seen Helping US Trade Case (CattleNetwork.com) WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The U.S. will now have a much stronger case to make that there is virtually no mad-cow disease risk here thanks to a decision Wednesday by the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health to relax country standard requirements. [News Source]

Human risk of vCJD revised (New Scientist) Could a whole new section of the population be at risk of developing the human form of mad cow disease? [News Source]

House clears $93.6 billion budget for agriculture and food safety. The House approved a $93.6 billion agriculture and food-safety budget after a testy skirmish about home-state projects again exposed divisions among Republicans about spending. [News Source]

New study highlights human risk from deadly mad-cow disease. A new study adds to concern that the deadly human form of mad-cow disease may have infected far more people than previously thought. [News Source]

New study highlights human risk from deadly mad-cow disease. A new study adds to concern that the deadly human form of mad-cow disease may have infected far more people than previously thought. [News Source]

U.S. labs ready complex bird flu testing. The government's elaborate network for diagnosing bird flu will eventually come down to a sprawling 640-acre campus in the Iowa countryside where strict security is the only hint of the crucial role scientists there could play in a national drama [News Source]

U.S. labs ready complex bird flu testing. The government's elaborate network for diagnosing bird flu will eventually come down to a 640-acre campus in Iowa where strict security is the only hint of the crucial role scientists there could play in a national drama that the country hopes will never materialize. [News Source]