10. Engineers who are members of the Society shall endeavor to abide by the Constitution, By-Laws and Policies of the Society, and they shall disclose knowledge of any matter involving another memberâs alleged violation of this Code of Ethics or the Societyâs Conflicts of Interest Policy in a prompt, complete and truthful manner to the chair of the Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee maintains an archive of interpretations to the ASME Code of Ethics (P-15.7).
December 23, 2003 - The first case of mad cow disease in the United States is confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The infected cow is discovered on a farm in Washington State in early December. Japan, China and South Korea stop the importation of U.S. beef.
Cause of the Mad Cow Disease. The mad cow disease is considered associated to modification or conformational change of a normal cell surface protein called prion protein. The reasons for this conformational change are still unknown. This disease is incurable and fatal in cattle. The infected cattle lose the ability to perform normal actions such as standing or walking, and hence, the disease derives its name of mad cow. The disease severely affects the nervous system of cattle, including the brain and spinal cord.