According to a new ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll, among those who've heard of mad cow disease — nine in 10 Americans — 44 percent are concerned about the fatal disease making an appearance here, including 18 percent "very concerned" and 26 percent "somewhat concerned." But 56 percent express little or no concern about it.
Mad cow in the United States? |
|
Concerned
|
Not
Concerned
|
|
|
|
Net
|
Very
|
Somewhat
|
|
44%
|
18
|
26
|
|
|
Net
|
Very
|
Somewhat
|
|
56%
|
35
|
21
|
|
|
|
The disease has rocked Western Europe, killing about 80 people in Britain and spreading across the continent, leading to the slaughter of cattle herds and disposal of tainted feed. Last week the Red Cross said it would seek to protect the U.S. blood supply by barring blood donations from some people who've lived in affected areas.
GROUPS — Concern about mad cow disease reaching this country varies widely among some groups. Fears are lowest among better-educated and higher-income people, and highest among racial minorities and older, less-educated and lower-income Americans. Some of the differences are striking:
Heard / Read and
Very Concerned |
| All |
18%
|
|
|
| Education: |
|
| Less
than high school |
33
|
| College
graduate |
8
|
| |
|
| Race: |
|
| Whites |
13
|
| All
non-whites |
35
|
| Blacks |
45
|
| |
|
| Age: |
|
| 18-60 |
15
|
| 61+ |
27
|
| |
|
| Income: |
|
| <$20K |
33
|
| $75K+ |
8
|
|
|
BEEF EATERS — If the disease were to emerge in the United States, the effects could be extensive: Nine in 10 Americans eat beef.
As it is, about a third of beef eaters (35 percent) say they're eating less beef than usual; women, older people and college-educated people are somewhat more apt than others to have trimmed their beef consumption. But mad cow disease does not seem to be the driving reason: The drop in consumption is only modestly larger among people who are worried about the disease than it is among those who aren't.
OUTBREAK — Mad cow disease appeared in the late 1980s and first seemed isolated to Britain. A second outbreak began in France in October and has spread throughout Europe.
Cattle contract the disease from contaminated feed; humans, by eating infected beef. The United States has banned the import of European cattle and feed, and the feeding of animal proteins to cattle. No cases have been found here, but former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman recently warned, "This is one area we cannot rest on our laurels, at all."
METHODOLOGY — This ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone Jan. 11-15 among a random national sample of 1,513 adults. The results have a 2.5-point error margin. Fieldwork by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.
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