Published Date: 2000-06-13 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Theileria annulata, cattle - UK
Archive Number: 20000613.0954

THEILERIA ANNULATA, CATTLE - UK
***********************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
Date: 12 Jun 2000
From: Martin Hugh-Jones <mehj@mail.vetmed.lsu.edu>
Source: Electronic Telegraph 12 Jun 2000 [edited]

Up to 400 cattle on British farms may be carrying a deadly disease
previously unknown in this country after being infected accidentally at a
government-backed research institute.
Farmers and government veterinarians are trying to track down the cattle
after the deaths from _Theileria_, or Mediterranean fever, of 2 cattle on a
farm near Edinburgh run by the Roslin Institute, the research establishment
most famous for creating Dolly, the cloned sheep.
22 other cattle have been destroyed at Blythbank Farm, after tests
indicated they could be infected with the disease, which is caused by a
parasite. Although 628 other cattle at the institute have tested clear of
the disease, movement restrictions have been imposed on the farm until
tests are completed.
But up to 400 other animals which have previously been sold to commercial
farmers have not yet been fully accounted for and some experts fear the
disease, which causes heavy financial losses in Africa, India, China and
some Southern European countries, may spread. All milk from the college
farm dairy herd has been withdrawn from the public food chain and
management methods have been tightened.
It is believed the cattle picked up the infection from animals which were
deliberately infected with _Theileria annulata_ while scientists at the
Roslin Institute were trying to develop a new vaccine against it. These
experiments were carried out between 1992 and 1998. The institute said it
"very much regretted the blunder".
Prof Grahame Bulfield, director of the Roslin Institute, said the parasite
posed no threat to humans. "The infection has almost certainly been
transferred from animals deliberately infected with the parasite several
years ago as part of our research to develop new vaccines against _Theileria_.
"This most probably occurred by cross-contamination during blood sampling
of experiment animals and we have altered our management and experimental
protocols to ensure an incident such as this cannot happen again."
He said "very few" of the cattle leaving the institute's farms were
involved in any experimental studies, but the exact number remains unclear.
--
Martin Hugh-Jones
<mehj@mail.vetmed.lsu.edu>
...................................tg/ds
*##########################################################*
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org>.
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org
(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give your
full name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.
############################################################
############################################################