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BSE INVESTIGATION OF BRAINS OF CATTLE SUBMITTED FOR RABIES

Objetivo


Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BASE), is causing concern for both animal and human health. It was first identified in the United Kingdom in 1986. Sporadic cases have been recognized in, France, Ireland, Switzerland and Oman. The study is to confirm or exclude the suspicion that BSE occurs in other European Community (EC).

A diagnostic network for the surveillance of BSE has been set up in the 5 EC States using standard histopathological techniques. In total, 1104 brains from ruminants with neurological disorders have been examined. The distribution of these was 145 in Germany, 245 in Belgium, 398 in Italy, 49 in Luxembourg and 267 in France. So far, the investigation has resulted in the confirmation of the absence of BSE cases in Germany, Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg and the confirmation of five cases of BSE in France. Lesions corresponding to various bovine diseases were seen in the BSE negative cow brains. These diseases included malignant catarrhal fever, listeriosis, bovine vesicular disease, Aujeszky's disease and others.
BSE is causing great concern for both animal and human health : in the UK from November 1985 up till 6 December 1991, 42 337 cases were diagnosed in 14 969 farms.

The possibility that BSE occurs in other countries has meanwhile been confirmed by 9 cases in Switzerland, 4 cases in France and 2 cases in Oman. Therefore, during two CEC organised training courses at the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Weybridge, one or more researchers per Member State have been trained to use standard histopathological procedures. In five Member States (B, F, D, I and L) where rabies is endemic, brains from cattle with neurological disorders are routinely examined on rabies. The rabies-negative brains are the target samples by excellence to test for BSE.

The project will allow to establish a surveillance network for the control of BSE in the five rabies infected Member States. The aim of the project is to confirm or to exclude the suspicion that BSE occurs in these Member States and to have well experienced workers and an elaborated diagnosis infrastructure ready in case of BSE outbreaks in one or more countries.

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Coordinador

National Instituut voor Diergeneeskundig Onderzoek
Aportación de la UE
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Dirección
Groeselenberg 99
1180 BRUSSELS
Bélgica

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Participantes (6)