Disease Information
19 January 2001
Vol. 14 - No. 3
BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY IN DENMARK
See also: 3 March 2000
Emergency report
Text of an e-mail received on 15 January 2001 from Dr Preben Willeberg, Chief Veterinary Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Søborg:
Report date: 15 January 2001.
Nature of diagnosis: post-mortem and laboratory.
Date of diagnosis: 8 January 2001.
Outbreaks:
Location No. of outbreaks Northern Jutland 1
Description of affected population: a breeding farm (cattle only). The infected animal had remained in the holding since its birth in 1993.
Total number of animals in the outbreak:
species susceptible cases deaths destroyed slaughtered bov 224 1 0 224* 0
* planned to take place within a week.
Diagnosis:
A. Laboratory where diagnosis was made: preliminary diagnosis: Danish Veterinary Laboratory(1); confirmation: VLA-Weybridge(2) (OIE Reference Laboratory for bovine spongiform encephalopathy [BSE]).
B. Diagnostic tests used: western blotting (Prionics-Check test) and immunohistochemical.
Epidemiology: the animal died by accident without having shown any clinical signs, during herd restrictions due to a clinical BSE suspicion.
A. Source of agent / origin of infection: feedborne.
B. Other epidemiological details: the present case is the second indigenous case of BSE.
Control measures:
- The holding has been placed under restrictions since 6 December 2000.
- The animal has been destroyed as "specified risk material".
- The cattle remaining on the premises will be destroyed accordingly.
- Animals moved from the holding have been traced and will also be destroyed.
In addition to the measures taken in the present case, the following precautions have been taken in Denmark:
- June 1990: ban on feeding ruminant protein to ruminants;
- January 1997: ban on feeding mammalian protein to ruminants;
- 1997: treating of high risk material at 133º C for 20 minutes at 3 bar;
- February 2000: national procedures for removal of "specified risk material";
- October 2000: surveillance programme for BSE in force, examining 15,000 animals a year including 8,000 fallen stock;
- January 2001: ban on feeding of processed animal protein to farmed animals which are kept, fattened or bred for the production of food;
- January 2001: testing of all slaughtered bovine animals over 30 months of age for the presence of BSE.
(1) Statens Veterinære Serumlaboratorium.
(2) Veterinary Laboratories Agency, United Kingdom.
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* *
BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY IN ITALY
(Date of last previously reported outbreak: 1994 [imported cases]).
Emergency report
Text of a fax received on 17 January 2001 from Dr Romano Marabelli, Director General of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Public Health, Rome:
Report date: 17 January 2001.
Nature of diagnosis: laboratory.
Date of diagnosis: 12 January 2001.
Outbreaks:
Location No. of outbreaks Pontevico municipality, Brescia province, Lombardy region 1
Description of affected population: dairy cattle herd. The affected animal was a seven-year-old dairy cow.
Total number of animals in the outbreak:
species susceptible cases deaths destroyed slaughtered bov 191 1 0 ... ...
Diagnosis: the affected animal was slaughtered at the abattoir in Ospedaletto Lodigiano (Milano province) and tested within the framework of the controls provided for bovines over 30 months of age.
A. Laboratories where diagnosis was made: preliminary diagnosis (12 January 2001): IZS(1) of Brescia; confirmation (16 January 2001): reference laboratory for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, Turin.
B. Diagnostic tests used: preliminary diagnosis: rapid test (Prionics-Check); confirmation: histology, immunohistochemistry and classical western blot tests.
Epidemiology: the epidemiological investigation is in progress.
Control measures: the dairy farm of origin was placed under restrictions after the preliminary positive result.
(1) IZS : Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale.
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* *