Sudden rise in BSE alarms scientists (U.K.)

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1091784,00.html

 

Sudden rise in BSE alarms scientists

 

49 new cases in past year could be from feed contamination

 

James Meikle, health correspondent

Monday November 24, 2003

The Guardian

 

Scientists are considering new checks on the cattle disease BSE after an

unexpected rise in cases among animals supposedly free from infection.

Strict rules banning the recycling of livestock in feed to other farm animals

are meant to eventually eradicate the disastrous disease, which has still

unquantified consequences for human health.

But the growing number of cattle succumbing to the disease even though they were

born after the August 1996 watershed for feed rules in Britain is troubling

experts. It may delay any decision on whether to relax another 1996 ban, on

cattle meat from British animals over 30 months old being used in food.

Although the youngest cattle with BSE are more than four years old it is feared

there may be a hidden route of infection, meaning the disease may hang on in the

national herd for years.

Scientists suspect that contaminated imports brought into Britain before

Europe-wide controls were introduced in January 2001 may be a factor. There is

no evidence that very old feed stocks on British farms dating from the 80s or

90s have any role.

But there is a growing belief that detailed investigation is needed into other

possible causes, including unexplained transmission from cow to cow or long-term

contamination in soil.

The original cause of BSE has never been established and is unlikely to be,

although the main favourites have been that sheep scrapie, a disease apparently

less dangerous to humans, was transformed into a killer in cattle, or that BSE

was a once rare sporadic condition in cattle that spread.

Feed recycling was the principal cause for the speed at which the epidemic

spiralled out of control until the early 1990s. There were 36,700 cases in 1992,

compared with just over 500 so far this year. Feed rules were introduced in 1988

but the long incubation period of the disease, often four to five years,

sometimes more, meant they took a long time to have an effect.

In addition, the rules were not strictly enforced until months after the first

cases of human BSE were recognised early in 1996.

There have been 77 confirmed BSE cases in the UK where the animals were born

after August 1996, 49 of them in the past 12 months, eight in the past three

weeks.

Other European countries have more BSE cattle born after 1996 but their

outbreaks have never come close to matching the scale of Britain's, with well

over 180,000 cases since 1986. They also conduct far more tests than Britain

because there is no age limit on meat that can be used in food.

A paper to be considered by the main BSE advisory committee, Seac, on Wednesday

indicates that feed contamination is the most " plausible " option, since trading

of mammalian meat and bonemeal was legal at ports in continental Europe until

the start of 2001.

But because of incubation times, it could be another three or four years before

any consequences are seen.

 

Special reports

The BSE crisis

What's wrong with our food?

 

Explained

The threat to humans from BSE

 

Cartoon

Steve Bell on the BSE report

 

Useful links

Official BSE inquiry

Human BSE Foundation

British Medical Journal CJD page

Department of Health CJD/BSE page

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs BSE page

The UK CJD disease surveillance unit

Food Standards Agency BSE page

 

 

 

 

 

 

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