X-Message-Number: 6042 Date: 08 Apr 96 14:45:08 EDT From: Mike Darwin <> Subject: Re: PROMED-AHEAD-EDR: Spongiform encephalopathy (23): WHO recommendations The following may be of interest to cryonicists who do not wish to have their brains turned into sponge. I would add to this WHO post that eating ANY part of ANY animals central nervous system is, IMHO, very unadvisable. SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY/BSE (23): WHO RECOMMENDATIONS > ======================================================= > > The following is the statement issued by WHO :- > > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > > Press Release WHO/28 > > 3 April 1996 > > INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS PROPOSE MEASURES TO LIMIT > SPREAD OF BSE AND REDUCE POSSIBLE HUMAN RISKS > FROM DISEASE > > At a consultation organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in > Geneva on 2-3 April 1996, a group of international experts reviewed > the public health issues related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy > (BSE) and the emergence of a new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease > (CJD), as officially reported by the United Kingdom (UK) on 20 March > 1996. > > The consultation made recommendations, based on the latest scientific > information, to minimize transmission of BSE among animals and to > reduce as completely as possible any exposure of humans to the BSE > agent. > > Findings of the Consultation > > Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy: > > BSE is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) in cattle which > was first identified in the United Kingdom in 1986. It is one of a > group of similar degenerative diseases which occur in several animal > species. Transmission of BSE to cattle appears to have been via > contaminated meat and bone meal in concentrate feed, with sheep or > cattle being the original source. The UK is the only country with a > high incidence of the disease, and the epidemic there appears to have > been due mainly to recycling of affected bovine material back to > cattle before the ruminant (cattle, sheep and goats) feed ban in July > 1988 took effect. There is no evidence to date of either maternal or > horizontal transmission of BSE. > > The incidence of the disease is declining significantly in the UK, > although the measures introduced have not thus far halted the > epidemic. The worldwide distribution of BSE is not known precisely, > but it has been reported at a much lower incidence than in native > cattle in other European countries. In these latter countries only > part of the BSE cases could be related to consumption of possibly > BSE-contaminated feed. > > Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (V-CJD): > > The group reviewed the clinical and pathological data from the 10 > cases in the UK. The disease has occurred at younger ages than is > usual for classical CJD and shows several clinical and pathological > differences. Based on findings in these 10 cases, the group > established a case definition to facilitate better surveillance, which > is necessary to determine the incidence and distribution of this > syndrome. > > The group concluded that there is no definite link between BSE and > V-CJD, but that circumstantial evidence suggests exposure to BSE may > be the most likely hypothesis. Further research on both diseases is > urgently required. > > Exposure to BSE has already been greatly reduced by measures taken in > the UK. Implementation of the recommendations by this consultation > should further reduce risk from exposure to BSE to minimal levels. > > Recommendations > > Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy: > > 1. No part of any animal which has shown signs of TSE should enter any > food chain, human or animal. All countries must ensure the slaughter > and safe disposal of TSE-affected animals so that TSE infectivity > cannot enter any food chain. All countries > should review their rendering procedures to ensure that they > effectively inactivate TSE agents. > > 2. All countries should establish continuous surveillance and > compulsory notification for BSE according to recommendations > established by the Office International des Epizooties in Paris. In > the absence of surveillance data, the BSE status of a country must be > considered as unknown. > > 3. Countries where BSE exists in native cattle should not permit > tissues that are likely to contain the BSE agent to enter any food > chain, human or animal. > > 4. All countries should ban the use of ruminant tissues in ruminant > feed. > > 5. With respect to specific products: > > * Tests on milk from BSE-infected animals have not shown any BSE > infectivity, and there is evidence from other animal and human > spongiform encephalopathies to suggest that milk will not transmit > these diseases. Milk and milk products, even in countries with high > incidence of BSE, are therefore considered safe. > > * Gelatin is considered safe for human consumption since its > preparation involves a chemical extraction process that destroys BSE > infectivity. > > * Tallow is likewise considered safe if effective rendering procedures > are in place. > > 6. With respect to medicinal products, which differ from food in that > they can be injected as well as taken orally, measures to minimize the > risk of transmitting the BSE agent were developed at a previous WHO > consultation in 1991 and continue to be applicable. > > * As more information becomes available these measures will be > reviewed and strengthened if necessary. > > * The importance of obtaining materials destined for the > pharmaceutical industry from countries which have a surveillance > system in place and which report either no or sporadic cases of BSE is > reiterated. > > * Removal and inactivation procedures contribute to the reduction of > the risk of infection. But it must be recognized that the BSE agent is > remarkably resistant to physico-chemical procedures which destroy the > infectivity of common microorganisms. > > 7. Research on TSE should be promoted, especially on rapid diagnosis, > agent characterization, and epidemiology of TSEs in > humans and animals. > > Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (V-CJD): > > 1 The geographic distribution of V-CJD, although reported at present > only in the UK, needs to be further investigated. > > 2 While the most likely hypothesis at present for this newly > recognized variant is exposure to the BSE agent, further data from > scientific studies on these variant cases are urgently required to > establish a link. More monitoring and surveillance studies on all > forms of CJD are required throughout the world, modelled on current > European collaborative studies. > > 3 Exposure to BSE from beef and beef products has already been > substantially reduced by the measures taken in the UK. Exposure to BSE > has always been lower in other countries. The group considered that > implementation of their recommendations will ensure that any > continuing risk of exposure to BSE in beef and beef products will be > reduced to a > minimum. > > As surveillance worldwide is increased for both BSE and V-CJD, more > information will become available in the coming months. WHO will keep > these developments under review and update the recommendations as > appropriate. > > For further Information, please contact Philippe Stroot, Media > Relations, Health Communications and Public Relations, WHO, Geneva, > tel. (41 22) 791 2535, fax (41 22) 791 4858, E-mail or > Dr David Heymann, Director, Division of Emerging and other > Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Control, WHO, Geneva. Tel. (41 > 22) 791 2660. Fax (41 22) 791 4198. E-mail All WHO > Press Releases, Fact Sheets and Features can be obtained on Internet > on the WHO home page http: //www.who.ch/ > > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > end of WHO statement. > Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=6042