BSE and the US Economy: Input-Output Model Perspective

The potential impact of a BSE outbreak on the US economy is modeled in input-output setting using 2002 US IMPLAN data. An outbreak of BSE would hurt the US beef industry, other agriculturally-related industry, and the rest of the economy as a whole. The worse effects occur in the beef cattle and farming industries. Generally, the economy of every county would be hurt given the fact that cattle are produced in all the 50 states. But it is apparent that the damage would be substantial in those regions and households which already suffer the severest economic damage.