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Published Date: 2002-10-03 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH> BSE update (11) October 2002
Archive Number: 20021003.5451

BSE - UPDATE (11) OCTOBER 2002
*********************************
A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
In this update:
[1] Third BSE case suspected in the Czech Republic
[2] Third BSE case confirmed in Poland
[3] France resumes import of British beef
[4] 72nd BSE case in Italy
[5] Increased number of BSE cases in Ireland
******
[1]
Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2002
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: CTK via CompuServe, 27 Sep 2002 [edited]
<http://ourworld.cs.com/j1braakman/sep02/czech3.htm>

Third BSE case detected in Czech Republic
-----------------------------------------
Prague: The Czech Republic has now registered 3 cases of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE), as a cow slaughtered in Brno [200 kilometers
southeast of Prague] on 25 Sep tested positive in a Western Blot test,
Josef Duben, spokesman for the State Veterinary Administration SVS, told
CTK today.
"The cow is from the Deblin cooperative farm [north west of Brno], it was
born on 26 Apr 1997 and slaughtered on 25 Sep [2002]," he said. The cow was
tested by the State Veterinary Office in Jihlava, South Moravia, with a
positive result. The outcome of the test must be confirmed now, he said,
adding that the final verdict would be available on Mon, 30 Sep 2002.
Of 4 offspring of the infected cow, 2 are still alive, while the other 2
were slaughtered earlier and tested negative. "This also shows that the
disease was not transmitted from the mother to its offspring," Duben
pointed out. On the basis of an extraordinary measure, the 2 living
offspring will be slaughtered and tested, just like cows from the herd that
are half a year older or younger than the infected animal.
"There might be up to 11 cases, but it is not certain now whether all of
them will really have to be put down," said Duben. The first BSE positive
cow in the Czech Republic was discovered in June [of 2001], and the second
case was detected 2 months later.
After June 2001, the SVS ordered tests on all slaughtered cattle older than
30 months, and since the beginning of 2001 Czech vets have tested over 230
000 animals, of which 114 146 were tested last year. "According to the
situation, the frequency of BSE cases in the Czech Republic corresponds to
a status of a country with low occurrence," said Duben.
Within BSE-protective measures, vets have banned the feeding of
meat-and-bone meal to ruminants, and next year it is planned to ban the use
of carcasses for the production of meat-and-bone meal for feeding. The SVS
may ban the feeding of meat-and-bone meal to non-ruminants as of the date
of Czech accession to the European Union.
******
[2]
Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2002
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Reuters via CompuServe, 30 Sep 2002 [edited]
<http://ourworld.cs.com/j1braakman/sep02/poland3.htm>

Poland detects third case of mad cow disease
---------------------------------------------
Poland has detected its third case of mad cow disease during a routine
test, but will not slaughter the entire herd from which the animal came,
chief veterinarian Piotr Kolodziej said on Mon, 30 Sep 2002. "After 2 tests
made on the animal, we are sure it was a case of mad cow disease,"
Kolodziej told Reuters. Officials said the cow came from a dairy herd of
800 animals in the south western Opolskie province.
Due to the size of the herd and the potential impact on the livelihood of
the farm from which the diseased cow came, only some animals will be culled
and the remainder will be put under observation, Kolodziej said.
Poland, Eastern Europe's largest farm economy, reported its first case of
mad cow disease or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in May 2002,
triggering beef import bans by some of its eastern and southern neighbours.
It now routinely tests all animals older than 30 months for BSE, which is
linked to the human brain-wasting disorder Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
[abbreviated as vCJD or CJD (new var.) in ProMED-mail].
Poland exports beef to the European Union and the EU's food safety
authorities have so far said that there is no need to restrict these
imports. Poland, the largest of 8 post-communist countries seeking to join
the EU in 2004, meets its requirements and removes all parts of the animal,
such as the spinal column, that are believed to pose the risk of spreading
the disease. Poland has been considered a "low-risk" country for mad cow
disease, but an EU report this year expressed concern over its ability to
detect BSE and contain the spread in the event of an outbreak.
******
[3]
Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2002
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: The Daily Telegraph, 02 Oct 2002 [edited]
<http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/10/02/ubeef.xml&sSheet=/portal/2002/10/02/ixport.html&secureRefresh=true&_requestid=445678>

France will import British beef
--------------------------------
The French government has lifted its ban on importing British beef. The
decision follows advice from the French food standards agency that British
beef exports are now safe.
The British government said it would welcome an early start of beef
shipments to France. Margaret Beckett, the environment secretary, said: "I
am very pleased for British farming that this issue is being resolved. "It
has been a completely unwarranted shadow hanging over our beef industry for
more than 3 years."
"I now look forward to the ban being lifted as quickly as possible so that
our exporters can work towards recovering markets and providing what has
been proved to be some of the safest and best quality beef in the world.
The UK has been very supportive of the actions taken by the European
Commission to resolve this issue. Working through EU institutions was the
best way to resolve this difficult issue and I am pleased that British beef
will be on the menu across the whole European Union now."
France has steadfastly refused to open its markets to British beef for the
last 3 years despite an European Union expert committee giving it a clean
bill of health.
******
[4]
Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2002
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Associated Press via COMTEX, 24 Sep 2002 [edited]

Italy finds 72nd case of mad cow disease in northern cow
--------------------------------------------------------
Italy has reported its 72nd case of mad cow disease, after laboratory
analysis confirmed that a cow from the Trento area had been infected with
the brain-wasting affliction.
The Health Ministry, announcing the latest case, said on Tue, 1 Oct 2002,
that nearly 1 million animals have been tested so far, in line with
European Union test requirements for cattle older than 30 months and
destined for slaughter.
Italy found its first case [in 2001], after the mandatory EU testing began.
Most of the infected animals [during 2001, 50 reported cases. - Mod.AS]
have been found in northern or north-central Italy.
One case of the human form of the illness has been reported in the country.
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease [abbreviated as vCJD or CJD (new var.) in
ProMED-mail] was detected in February 2002 in a young woman living in
Sicily. Many experts believe the illness is transmitted by eating meat from
infected animals.
******
[5]
Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2002
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Irish Examiner, 21 Sep 2002 [edited]

Ireland is heading for a record number of BSE cases this year
-------------------------------------------------------------
The discovery of 4 new cases recorded this week in Mayo, Galway, Limerick,
and Clare brought the total for the year so far to 246 -- the same as was
recorded for all of [2001], which was also a record. The upsurge in the
number of cases this year is being attributed to increased surveillance by
the Department of Agriculture and had been predicted by veterinary experts.
However, the case in Limerick this week was a 5 year old dairy cow, which
must have contracted the virus after a ban was introduced on feeding meat
and bone meal to cattle in 1996 and early 1997 [BAB]. This was the third
such case recorded in animals born in 1997. The other 2 were in Sligo and
Kerry. One theory being considered is that meat and bone meal left over
from the period when it was banned may have ended up inadvertently in
animal feed after the new controls were introduced. Hazel Sheridan, senior
veterinary inspector with the department, said they expected to see some
more cases in animals born in 1997 before the year is out.
There has been a trend throughout this year for increases in the number of
overall cases detected, in direct response to the active surveillance
programme, which was introduced in full in July 2001, she said. In the
other outbreaks this week, the cattle were aged 16, 7, and 9 years. All
were from suckler herds.
A spokesman for the department said the underlying trend remains positive.
The increasing age profile of animals confirmed with the disease indicates
that the enhanced controls introduced in 1996 and early 1997 are proving
effective. The controls in place to protect consumers and to eradicate the
disease continue to be rigorously enforced, he said.
Experts believe the incidences of the disease will start to decline shortly
as older animals work their way out of the national herd.
Meanwhile, British scientists have published the first official estimate of
the number of people there who might develop vCJD, the human form of BSE.
Medical researchers at Derriford hospital in Plymouth estimate that 120
people per million could be at an increased risk to the human form of BSE
but have not yet developed symptoms. However, they have warned the margin
of error could be high.
[byline: Ray Ryan]
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The new case in Poland seems to have been officially notified to the
Office International des Epizooties on 30 Sep 2002, as indicated in the
updated BSE table. The Czech republic's new case has not been
confirmed/reported yet. <http://www.oie.int/eng/info/en_esbmonde.htm> - Mod.AS]

See Also