Heim D, Kihm U
Swiss Federal Veterinary Office, Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, 3097 Liebefeld, Switzerland.
Rev Sci Tech. 2003 Apr;22(1):179-99. doi: 10.20506/rst.22.1.1392.
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was first described in the United Kingdom (UK) in November 1986. After the introduction of an active surveillance system, most countries in Europe have reported BSE cases in the cattle population. This indicates that the use of active surveillance in addition to passive surveillance is important to assess the true BSE status in a country. Scrapie, a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) in sheep and goats, has been reported in countries throughout the world with a few notable exceptions. Concern was expressed that BSE could have been introduced into sheep and goats. Currently, distinguishing between scrapie and BSE in small ruminants is only possible through lengthy experiments in mice. Preliminary results of active surveillance, introduced in 2002, show that significant under-reporting occurred. The history of BSE in cattle shows that risk assessments concerning the risk in a given country were often ignored and subsequent risk management decisions were inaccurate, i.e. although the risk was probable, no measures were taken in terms of either animal or human health. Furthermore, the effect of the measures taken was often overestimated and these had to be amended several times. The most important action to prevent new cases of TSEs occurring is by banning the feeding meat-and-bone meal (MBM) to ruminants. Further measures to be considered are the exclusion of specified risk material and carcasses from rendering, the process parameters for rendering of animal waste and the prevention of cross-contamination of feed with MBM. The most important measures to protect the consumer are the ban on specified risk material, such as brain and spinal cord, which may contain particularly high concentrations of the BSE agent, and the ban on mechanically recovered meat. The most important measures taken in Europe and the scientific background thereof are described and discussed.
牛海绵状脑病（BSE）于1986年11月在英国首次被发现。在引入主动监测系统后，欧洲大多数国家都报告了牛群中的BSE病例。这表明除了被动监测外，使用主动监测对于评估一个国家的真实BSE状况很重要。羊瘙痒病是绵羊和山羊的一种传染性海绵状脑病（TSE），除少数明显例外，世界各国均有报告。有人担心BSE可能已传入绵羊和山羊。目前，只有通过在小鼠身上进行漫长的实验才能区分小型反刍动物中的羊瘙痒病和BSE。2002年引入的主动监测初步结果表明，存在大量漏报情况。牛BSE的历史表明，关于特定国家风险的风险评估常常被忽视，随后的风险管理决策不准确，即尽管风险很可能存在，但在动物或人类健康方面未采取任何措施。此外，所采取措施的效果往往被高估，不得不多次进行修正。预防新的TSE病例出现的最重要行动是禁止给反刍动物喂食肉骨粉（MBM）。需要考虑的进一步措施包括在提炼过程中排除特定风险物质和尸体、动物粪便提炼的工艺参数以及防止饲料与MBM交叉污染。保护消费者的最重要措施是禁止使用特定风险物质，如可能含有特别高浓度BSE病原体的脑和脊髓，以及禁止使用机械回收肉。本文描述并讨论了欧洲采取的最重要措施及其科学背景。
