One-Fifth of U.S. Adults Say Fear of Mad Cow Disease Will Affect What and Where They Eat
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- One in every five American adults (21 percent) say that fear of mad cow disease will change their eating habits, according to results of a recent Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Healthcare Poll.
Most (78 percent) of these people say that they would eat less beef while 16 percent of them indicate that they will stop eating beef altogether.
Nonetheless, a sizeable majority (88 percent) has confidence that the government will take necessary steps to avoid the spread of mad cow disease in the United States - 45 percent say that they have a great deal of confidence and 43 percent say that they have some confidence.
This nationwide poll of 2,378 U.S. adults was conducted online Jan. 6-8, 2004 by Harris Interactive for The Wall Street Journal Online's Health Industry Edition.
Opinion is split as to whether the government's rules for feeding cattle and inspecting beef have been too lax or were sufficient:
-- A 44 percent plurality states that the government's rules were too lax or
lenient;
-- 33 percent say the rules were sufficient;
-- 23 percent were not sure.
"If the people who believe they will eat less beef actually do so, beef sales will take a serious short-term hit, and sales of poultry, lamb, pork and fish will rise," says Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll at Harris Interactive. "However, if no further cases of mad cow disease are reported, eating habits are likely to return to what they were before very long."
How Contaminated Is Your Stretcher? The Hidden Risks on Hospital Wheels
July 3rd 2025Despite routine disinfection, hospital surfaces, such as stretchers, remain reservoirs for harmful microbes, according to several recent studies. From high-touch areas to damaged mattresses and the effectiveness of antimicrobial coatings, researchers continue to uncover persistent risks in environmental hygiene, highlighting the critical need for innovative, continuous disinfection strategies in health care settings.
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
