WOMAN DIES OF MAD COW IN ITALY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 003608 SIPDIS STATE PASS USDA FOR FAS/FAA/SBLEGGI FAS/CMP/DLP/RWENTZEL; CMP/GFD/RIEMENSCHNEIDER; CMP/COT/LBLUM ITP/EAMED/MACKE/YOUNG FSIS/SSTRATMOEN OFSTS/RICHEY/APHIS/ATORRES STATE PASS USTR BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE MILAN FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICE FLORERNCE FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER NAPLES FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU IT EUN SUBJECT: WOMAN DIES OF MAD COW IN ITALY REF: ROME 05917 DECEMBER 2002 SENSITIVE, NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION ¶1. SUMMARY: MAD COW DISEASE RETURNED TO ITALIAN NEWSPAPERS WITH THE DEATH OF A YOUNG SICILIAN WOMAN WHO SUCCUMBED TO VARIANT CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE (VCJD) AUGUST 6. THIS IS ITALY'S FIRST CONFIRMED DEATH FROM THE DISEASE. STATEMENTS FROM CONFIRMED DEATH FROM THE DISEASE. STATEMENTS FROM THE ITALIAN MINISTER OF HEALTH GIROLAMO SIRCHIA WERE MEANT TO CONVEY CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY, TO CALM FEARS ABOUT ITALIAN MEAT CONSUMPTION, AND TO DEFEND THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH'S ROLE IN SAFEQUARDINQ THE ITALIAN MEAT SUPPLY FROM POSSIBLE CRITICISM. ¶2. THE HUMAN DISEASE VCJD IS LINKED TO THE CONSUMPTION OF BEEF FROM A BSE-POSITIVE ANIMAL. ALL NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS REPORTED ON A GOI MINHEALTH STATEMENT LINKINQ THE CASE TO IMPORTED MEAT OR MEAT FROM AN INFECTED COUNTRY. HOWEVER, THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH DISAVOWS THAT MINISTER SIRCHIA MADE THIS STATEMENT. PENDING THE RESULTS OF AN AUTOPSY, THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH HAS NO OFFICIAL STATEMENT. COMMENT: ITALY IS A NET IMPORTER OF BEEF. ANYONE WHO EATS BEEF IN ITALY IS LIKELY TO EAT IMPORTED BEEF. PRESS REPORTS ALSO CONTAINED VARIOUS SPECULATIVE STATEMENTS ON THE POSSIBLE SOURCE OF THE DISEASE, INCLUDING TRAVEL TO FRANCE. NO ONE CAN KNOW PRECISELY AT WHAT POINT THE ITALIAN WOMAN'S INFECTION BEQAN. END COMMENT. ¶3. THE FIRST CONFIRMED CASE OF THE ANIMAL DISEASE BOVINE SPONQIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY, BSE, WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE UK IN NOVEMBER 1986. PRIOR TO A BAN ON EXPORT OF ENQLISH BEEF ENACTED IN MARCH 1996, ITALY AND MANY OTHER COUNTRIES PURCHASED CATTLE AND BEEF FROM THE UK. ITALY'S MAIN BEEF CATTLE SOURCES ARE CURRENTLY FRANCE, GERMANY, AND DENMARK. LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE INCUBATION PERIOD BETWEEN EXPOSURE TO THE INFECTIVE AQENT AND THE EMERQENCE OF SYMPTOMS IN HUMANS. THERE ARE MANY INFORMATIVE WEBSITES ON BSE AND VCJO INCLUDINQ THE U.S. HTTP://WWW.CDC.QOV, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HTTP://WWW.FSIS.USDA.QOV/OA/TOPICS/BS E AND THE UNITED KINQDOM'S DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS HTTP://WWW.DEFRA.UK . THE UNITED KINDOM CJD SURVEILLANCE UNIT HAS CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH ONE HUNDRED HUMAN CASES AND REPORTS ON THESE AT HTTP://WWW.CJD.ED.AC.UK ¶4. IN ITALY TESTS FOR BSE ARE NOW ROUTINELY DONE ON BEEF CATTLE FOR SLAUQHTER FOR ALL ANIMALS OVER THE AQE OF 30 MONTHS. THIS REQUIREMENT BEQAN IN JANUARY 2001. THE GOI MINHEALTH PRESENTS THESE TESTS AS EVIDENCE THAT ANIMAL CASES HAVE PEAKED AND ARE NOW IN DECLINE. IN ROME 00003608 002 OF 002 AND REMOVED FROM THE FOOD AND FEED CHAIN. THE INCIDENCE OF HUMAN CASES DOES NOT TRACK ON THE SAME TIMELINE AS ANIMAL CASES BECAUSE THE INCUBATION PERIOD OF VCJD CAN EXCEED A DECADE. IN ADDITION, IN ITALY SLAUQHTER OCCURRINQ OUTSIDE LEQAL PROCEDURES IS UNTESTED. CONSEQUENTLY, TESTINQ AND THE RESULTS OF TESTS ARE AN INCOMPLETE PICTURE OF ALL BEEF IN COMMERCIAL CHANNELS IN ITALY. SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME03608 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED