REPORT OF THE OIE REGIONAL MEETING ON BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY
- Kathmandu, 26 November 2001
1. Opening session
Dr N.P. Singh Karki opened the meeting and welcomed the speakers and participants.
Dr T. Fujita of the OIE Regional Representation for Asia and the Pacific advised that the purpose of the meeting was to disseminate the latest available information on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) to the member countries of the region, as preparation for anticipated increased levels of surveillance. The occurrence of two cases of BSE in Japan highlights the need for preparation for surveillance and control and for a programme of public awareness to avoid consumer panic. There is a need to secure the trust of consumers.
Dr D.D. Joshi, Chairman of the Nepal Veterinary Council, chaired the scientific session, and reaffirmed that the experience in Japan highlights the regional importance of BSE preparedness.
The addresses given by Drs Karki and Fujita, the programme and the list of participants are attached as Appendices I-IV respectively.
Dr U. Kihm, Director of the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office commenced the scientific presentations, and noted that with BSE it has been difficult to differentiate fact from fiction. The purpose of the meeting was to present the facts, to share the experiences of BSE in a number of countries and to create awareness that BSE is now a global problem. All the material presented was circulated, as a printed report and as copies of the presentations on screen (Appendices V-VI).
2. BSE globally: current situation and available tests
Dr D. Heim from the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office described the history of discoveries of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and of the outbreak of BSE in the U.K. There followed a comparison of the descriptive epidemiology of BSE in the U.K. and Switzerland, and elsewhere in Europe.
Dr Heim commented particularly on the aspects of tests for BSE. Rapid tests have been validated to give clear-cut positive/negative results, but have been validated mainly on fresh specimens, not so much with autolyzed samples or samples that have been repeatedly frozen and thawed. Current tests can be applied only to dead animals, and work only towards the end of the incubation period of the disease.
Tests are best used for surveillance. Use of rapid tests for consumer protection is still a controversial issue.
Dr K. Oishi from Japan queried the possibility of a test for use on the living animal. Dr Heim advised that current research may lead to such a testing capability in the longer term but that no such test is going to be available to assist in the immediate future.
Concern was expressed by a number of delegates regarding a report of BSE in a 20-month-old animal in the U.K. It was advised that the animal was identified because it was showing clinical signs but that of over 180,000 cases only two cases were in that young age group and that these cases were detected years ago, when the load of infectivity was high. This type of rare event could be expected with normal biological variation.