I
was delighted when, Ionel Iloae, a Romanian journalist, told a humorous story,
albeit dark humor, of an entire village in Dragata, Moldova, who ate a “mad”
cow. He was not talking about mad cow disease or Creutzfeldt-Jakob syndrome,
but a cow that had been bitten by a rabid animal, presumably a fox.
The
drama started with a family’s cow breaking a window and exhibiting the strange
behavior of kicking the walls of the barn. Frightened, the Chiriacs called in
the veterinarian, Robert Ciubotaru. After the cow was immobilized, the vet took
blood samples and warned the family to stay away, as he was suspecting that the
cow was infected with rabies.
The
rabies virus is a neurotropic virus that causes fatal disease in humans and
animals, the transmission occurring through saliva, hence the speculation that
the cow had been bitten by an already infected animal.
A
cow is a very precious and lucrative commodity on a farm. Why let such an
opportunity go to waste? The wife decided to slaughter the animal before it
expired, cook part of it for her family, and sell the rest to the village for
10 lei a kilogram. Word spread like wildfire and the villagers came in droves
to buy fresh meat sold so much cheaper than the going price. Some, who left
empty-handed and disappointed when the meat ran out, did not realize how lucky
they were.
By
sun down, Elena Chiriac sold all the beef, about 200 kilos. The village police
officer bought some but the mayor left disappointed. People all over the
village had a feast and enjoyed their fresh beef. Elena cooked the liver
immediately - it was her favorite dish.
The
next morning, the results of the blood test came in. The cow was rabid and
everybody had to turn in the meat bought the previous day. A large hole was dug
up, the leftover meat was thrown in with a good dose of diesel and a fire was
lit up until every piece of the poor animal was burned.
I
never liked or ate beef personally – cows were always pets for me. My Grandparents
kept them for dairy purposes. We milked them and made butter and cheese. Cows
had a good and long life on our farm; they always died of old age, not disease.
Only then were they sent to the city slaughterhouse.
Twenty-five
people admitted that they had consumed the infected meat, the rest of the
villagers were too ashamed. Only the fear of a painful death by rabies convinced
the rest to submit to immediate vaccination. The mayor and the prefect had to
obtain special dispensation for immediate delivery of all the necessary
vaccines or the entire village would die.
The
remorseful Elena, who knew better, but was more interested in the economics of
her cow than the safety of her neighbors, hid in shame. A retired teacher and a
village elder, everybody trusted her.
The
incubation period of a rabies infection is 20 to 90 days. If the vaccine is
administered immediately, there are no dangers. The virus enters through saliva
and micro-lesions in the skin. After 30 days from infection, the disease
becomes fatal. There are some cases in Africa of a rabies strain in the Yellow
Mongoose where the animal can live asymptomatic for years.
The
Director of DSV in charge of the food supply and animal safety did not assign
blame to anyone. “The woman is not responsible that her cow got sick. We will
assess the situation and pay the owner for the cow. We found the rabies in
time, people are being vaccinated, and the risks are minor.”
As
Ionel Iloae so aptly describes it, in Moldova everything is handled with
kindness – even a potential “small accidental genocide.” The whole story would
make a perfect comedy of errors plot.
Most
people, who lined up at the village dispensary in a state of agitation to be
vaccinated, admitted, “It was an issue of national interest.” Some villagers
have refused the vaccine so far. From a family of eight who ate the tainted
beef, only one person admitted to have eaten the meat, and time is running out.
The cow was slaughtered on May 12.
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