Sorry to deluge you; I'm cleaning up six days' worth of e-mail, and
lots of ProMed daily digests in there. Thought this might interest.
peace
mish
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Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 21:30:51 +0000
From: Karin de Lange <kDeLange.pointvet@invivo.edu>
BSE IN BELGIUM: THIRD CASE
Belgium's third BSE case was confirmed by government officials
yesterday, 30 March, on a 5 year-old dairy cow from a farm in
Waarschoot (province of East Flanders). The cow was referred to the
veterinary faculty in Ghent (Belgium), where clinicians suspected BSE
and informed the government veterinary inspectors on 6 March. The
referring veterinarian had initially suspected a metabolic disorder,
especially since the animal (which had showed hypersensitivity and
changed behaviour) seemed to improve on mineral and vitamin treatment,
but then relapsed. The cow was euthanized and incinerated at the
Denderleeuw rendering plant on March 9, the brain was sent for
analysis to the CERVA (national veterinary research centre), who
confirmed the disease on Monday.
The 124-head dairy herd of the farm in Waarschoot were culled and
incinerated, while the brains of all adult cattle (over two years of
age) were sent to the CERVA for analysis. The animal was born on 22
August 1992, i.e. two years before the ban on bone and animal meal in
ruminant feed became effective in Belgium. The cow originally came
from another farm in Waarschoot, from where she was sold to her
current owner in March 1996. Both farms have been placed under
surveillance and all cattle which came from either farm and is still
alive will be traced, slaughtered and incinerated while their brain
tissue will be submitted for analysis.
Analysis from the animals culled following the second Belgian BSE case
(March 10 ) are still underway.
- --
Karin de Lange DVM MRCVS
European Editor
La Semain Veterinaire
BP 233
F-94702 Maison-Alfort cedex, FRANCE
tel + (33) 1 45 17 02 25
fax + (33) 1 45 17 02 74
e-mail kdelange.pointvet@invivo.edu
[While one understands the bureaucratic desire to get rid of a problem
as quickly as possible, in this case by whole herd slaughter, one must
wonder as to what the results of risk-analysis have been for the
alternative scenario of immediate slaughter of only the clinical
cases. - Mod.MHJ] .........................................mhj/es -
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Michele Gale-Sinex, communications manager
Center for Integrated Ag Systems
UW-Madison College of Ag and Life Sciences
Voice: (608) 262-8018 FAX: (608) 265-3020
http://www.wisc.edu/cias/
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If you knew what life was worth, you
would look for yours on earth. --Bob Marley
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