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

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2003ROME03608 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED