Memorandum submitted by the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
Supplementary information to the Evidence
on BSE given by DEFRA Officials on 22 May 2002
1. Research which has been commissioned to
look into the connections between BSE infection and intensive
farming
There has been no research commissioned to look
specifically at this question. However, the epidemiological evidence
indicates that it is the exposure to the BSE agent via feed which
is the major risk factor. The incidence of BSE has been greater
in dairy herds than in beef suckler herds, which are kept extensively.
However, BSE has occurred in beef suckler herds and in animals
born in these herds. A good proportion of these affected herds
would be regarded as extensively managed and a number have approached
organic status, even if not formally registered as such. These
animals have become infected as a result of having to provide
supplementary feed, especially to young stock, during the winter
months when hay and silage has been in short supply. In short,
if cattle are exposed to the BSE agent in feed they are likely
to go on to develop clinical disease whatever the form of farming
system in which they are kept.
2. The age profile of the animals which developed
disease before 30 months of age.
Year of
onset | Age at onset (months)
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
| 20 | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24 | 25
| 26 | 27 | 28 |
29 | 30 |
| 1986 | | |
| | |
| | | |
| 1 |
| 1987 | | |
| | |
| | | |
| 1 |
| 1988 | | |
| | 1 |
| | 1 | 1 |
| 2 |
| 1989 | | 1 |
| | 4 | 1
| 1 | 1 | 3 |
2 | 5 |
| 1990 | | |
| | 2 |
| 1 | 3 | 1 |
3 | 10 |
| 1991 | | |
| | 1 |
| 3 | 3 | 1 |
2 | 4 |
| 1992 | 1 | |
| | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
3 | 3 |
| 1993 | | |
| | |
| | | | 1
| 3 |
| 1994 | | |
| | |
| | | |
| 2 |
| 1995 | | |
| | | 1
| | | |
| |
| 1996 | | |
| | |
| | | | 1
| 1 |
| Totals | 1 |
1 | | |
8 | 2 | 6
| 10 | 9 | 12
| 32 |
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
3. The ages of the BSE cases born after 1 August 1996
in GB
| Case No. | Date of birth |
Age at slaughter |
| 1 | 25 August 1996 | 44 months
|
| 2 | 27 May 1997 | 48 months
|
| 3 | 4 December 1996 | 54 months
|
| 4 | 18 January 1997 | 52 months
|
| 5 | 25 April 1997 | 51 months
|
| 6 | 7 September 1996 | 62 months
|
| 7 | 4 January 1997 | 58 months
|
| 8 | 12 February 1997 | 58 months
|
| 9 | 27 July 1997 | 52 months
|
| 10 | 30 July 1997 | 51 months
|
| 11 | 6 March 1997 | 57 months
|
| 12 | 29 September 1996 |
64 months |
| 13 | 27 April 1997 | 58 months
|
| 14 | 16 February 1998 | 46 months
|
| 15 | 27 August 1996 | 69 months
|
| 16 | 18 September 1996 |
69 months |
| 17 | 29 November 1997 | 53 months
|
| 18 | 25 June 1997 | 58 months
|
| | |
4. Costs of the experiment at IAH which failed because
of doubts about the provenance of the brain samples
The value of the contract with the institute for Animal Health
for this work was £227,134. The experiment was due to be
completed in December 2002. Payments were halted following reports
that serious problems had arisen with the work. At that point
some £208,878 had been paid.
18 June 2002
| 
