Bovine spongiform encephalopathy and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: implications for Australia.
The bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epizootic developed in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s. Feeding practices in the cattle industry amplified the causative prion, and meat contaminated with BSE entered the market. Human consumption of prion-contaminated meat led to the new zoonosis--variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). The UK BSE Inquiry published its report in October 2000; while praising policy decisions, it also documented failures in the execution of these policies, specifically delays and lack of rigour. Australia is in an excellent position to maintain its BSE- and scrapie-free status, but widespread active surveillance of neural and non-neural tissue from all species of farmed quadrupeds is needed.
Goldwater
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PN
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Department, The Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, SA. goldwaterp@mail.wch.sa.gov.au
D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D016643:Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000821:virology; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011328:Prions