BSE OCCURRENCES AND CONTROL MEASURES IN JAPAN
- Kazuhiro Yoshida, D.V.M.
- Deputy Director, Animal Health Division
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Control measures against BSE (until the first BSE detection)
Given the BSE situation of the United Kingdom, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries prohibited the importation of live cattle and strengthened the import requirements for meat and bone meal or similar products from the United Kingdom in July 1990. The above control measures were applied to other BSE positive countries at the time of BSE incident in their respective countries.
Most notably ban on the import of meat and bone meal or similar products from BSE detected countries has been effectually in force since 1996, and in the same year the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries prohibited use of meat and bone meal or similar products for feed, fertiliser and other purposes by the administrative guideline.
In the same year, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (then called as the Ministry of Health and Welfare) prohibited use of ruminant products imported from the United Kingdom, and the Ministry added a BSE test in the inspections at slaughterhouses.
In addition to the above measures, as the number of BSE cases increased in the European Union (EU) around 1999 and with the increased cases of contamination with BSE agents in European countries, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries legally prohibited the importation of beef, beef products and meat and bone meal from all EU member nations and other BSE positive countries in January 2001.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries established the guidelines for the BSE surveillance, and started the active surveillance on farms against BSE suspected cattle, including BSE screening tests with Western Blotting in April 2001. This surveillance had instituted for 300 cattle per year, with the aim of confirming the Japanese free status of BSE in line with the OIE International Animal Health Code. As a result of this surveillance, the first BSE case in Japan was detected in September 2001.
Occurrences of BSE
On 10 September 2001, the first case of BSE in Japan of a Holstein cow was confirmed in Chiba Prefecture by the National Institute of Animal Health by means of the histopathological and immunohistochemical tests. The second BSE infected Holstein cow was detected on 21 November 2001, the third BSE case on 2 December 2001 and the latest fourth BSE case on 10 May 2002. The last three BSE cases were confirmed at the slaughtering stage by the new BSE testing systems of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
| Case | Date of Detection | Date of Birth | Breed | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10/Sep/01 | 28/Mar/96 | Holstein | Chiba |
| 2 | 21/Nov/01 | 04/Apr/96 | Holstein | Hokkaido |
| 3 | 02/Dec/01 | 26/Mar/96 | Holstein | Gunma |
| 4 | 10/May/02 | 23/Mar/96 | Holstein | Hokkaido |
Countermeasures against BSE (establishment of the stable food supply system)
On 10 September 2001 when the first BSE case was confirmed in Japan, the BSE countermeasure headquarters (Chief: Senior Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) was established in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries also established a new system to prevent distribution of cattle at risk of BSE in October 2001 by working with concerned ministries and agencies, especially with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries enhanced the quarantine system including prohibition of all the importation of meat and bone meal and similar products and banned use of all livestock feeds containing meat and bone meal in October 2001.
1) Innovation of the beef inspection systems for public health
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has innovated on the then BSE testing of all carcasses of cattle slaughtered on or after 18 October 2001. At slaughterhouses, the Veterinary Authorities tried every positive means for BSE control, for examples complete disposition of Specific Risk Materials (SRMs) (brain, spinal cord, eyes and ileum distal parts) and other BSE control measure.
The postponement of shipment of cattle to slaughterhouses (by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) and suspension of slaughtering and butchering (by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare) were decided before necessary arrangements for the above have been completed. In line with these, those Ministries have arranged the measures with which no beef or products or by-products at risk of BSE could be released from slaughterhouses, and Japan has built the providing system of BSE inspected beef for national markets.
a) BSE testing system of cattle slaughtered for human consumption
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare started the BSE test program including BSE screening tests at local meat inspection centers and BSE confirmatory tests (Histopathology, Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting) at the national reference laboratories for all ages of cattle slaughtered, after 18 October 2001. Until 8 June 2002, 774,733 samples have been tested and three BSE cases were confirmed by the new BSE testing systems.
b) Removal of Specified Risk Materials (SRMs)
The obligatory removal and incineration of SRMs (brain, spinal cord, eyes and ileum distal parts of all age of cattle) has been implemented under the Abattoir Law Enforcement Regulation since 18 October 2001.
2) Blocking the route of BSE agent
In order to ensure the blocking up the route of BSE agents and the effectiveness of the domestic discontinuance on the above agents, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries already banned the manufacture, sale and use of all livestock feeds containing meat and bone meal or similar products by the Law concerning Safety Assurance and Quality Improvement of Feed which came into effect on 15 October 2001.
3) Investigation into the cause
Epidemiological investigations of the route of purchase and feeding of the infected cattle were taken by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
On-site emergency inspections of all cattle (approximately 4.59million) in farms by prefectural animal health inspectors were completed at the end of September 2001 and no cow showed any suspicions of BSE infection. On 18 October 2001, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries compiled the investigation manual for BSE prevention measures, surveillance on farms, testing cattle and relationship with the Prefectures and other authorities. In line with the manual, the investigation is now being conducted and until 10 July 2002, 1,838 cattle have been tested and one BSE case was confirmed by this surveillance system on farm.
The on-site inspections of all cattle feed production plants (142 plants) regarding the status of implementation of measures to prevent mixture of meat and bone meal or similar products with feed, have been made, based on the Law concerning Safety Assurance and Quality Improvement of Feed. This measure was completed on 21 September 2001, and no contamination was found after the analysis of samples collected.
In addition, the follow-up surveillance on domestic distribution routes and other matters regarding the meat and bone meal imported in the past was taken, and the investigation of production processes regarding overseas meat and bone meal plants was made.
4) Other emergency measures related to BSE incidence
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has taken the following emergency measures for farm producers and others affected by the incident. These measures are taken to stabilize the price fluctuation and to deal with other factors for keeping the management of commercial cattle breeding.
a) The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has introduced the food traceability system by utilization of information and investigation technology (IT) in order to gain consumers' confidence based on the establishment of the order to the "face-to-face relationship between consumers and producers" through trace investigations.
b) For the farm producers and others affected by the BSE occurrences, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has taken some emergency loan systems to those affected farmers(BSE-related bridge loans), debt-guarantee support for BSE-related bridge loans and has supported for incineration of meat and bone meal that has become difficult to use.
5) Further enhancement of the BSE counter measures
"The study Committee Regarding the BSE Problem" as an advisory body of the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare was established and verified the problems regarding the administrative response to BSE. The Committee, which carried out investigation on the way of the administration and which also studied future directions for livestock and food sanitation administration in the future, reported to the two Ministers its result and gave some recommendations on 2 April 2002. Based on this report which criticizes the absence of risk management systems, the prime Minister requested the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Minister of Health and Labour and Welfare to provide concrete measures based on the principle of the new administrative organization to be established, and to reflect in the proposal for the budget of the 2003 fiscal year. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries directs the policies on agriculture, forestry and fisheries much more towards the consumers' safety and protection and surely implements a drastic review and a reform of the policy in order to secure safe and reliable food and also to reflect the Prime Minister's instruction.