Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ROME740
2004-02-27 06:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

NEW FORM OF BSE DISCOVERED IN ITALY

Tags:  EAGR EU IT 
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UNCLAS ROME 000740 

SIPDIS


STATE PASS USDA FOR FAS, APHIS AND FSIS
FAS FOR ITP/BARRETT AND DLP/WETZEL/DUTROW
FSIS FOR MCKEE AND SWACINA
APHIS FOR ACORD AND DEHAVEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EU IT
SUBJECT: NEW FORM OF BSE DISCOVERED IN ITALY

UNCLAS ROME 000740

SIPDIS


STATE PASS USDA FOR FAS, APHIS AND FSIS
FAS FOR ITP/BARRETT AND DLP/WETZEL/DUTROW
FSIS FOR MCKEE AND SWACINA
APHIS FOR ACORD AND DEHAVEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EU IT
SUBJECT: NEW FORM OF BSE DISCOVERED IN ITALY


1. Summary. Researchers from several
Italian institutions published, in the National
Academy of Science, findings that they have
identified a second type of mad cow brain-
wasting disease, BASE. The U.S. press has
given this story much more attention than
the Italian press. Italian media reporting on the
BASE cases all make reference to the one US case
of BSE found in Washington state. Embassy Rome is
ready to provide whatever assistance needed
on BASE research in Italy. End Summary

2.The team of Italian researchers is from
two regional animal disease institutes
(Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna) and the Verona
University. They announced the discovery of
a new form of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
on February 17. The results of the research were
submitted for publication to
the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Science (NAS) November nine, 2003 and
published in the February issue of the
scientific review. The new disease was
detected in two healthy-looking but old (11
and 15 years) cows that tested positive to
the BSE test conducted by Italian
authorities. The new disease has been named
BASE, the acronym for Bovine Amyloidotic
Spongiform Encephalopathy.


--------------

3. The discovery and new concerns.
--------------
The original purpose of the study was to analyze
the distribution of prions responsible for BSE
in bovines, using 8 samples that had tested
positive for BSE. The researchers found an unusual
distribution of the prions and the presence of
other evidence suggesting that 2 of the 8 animals
were affected by the new form of BSE. The
characteristics of BASE are very similar to those
of the "Subtype two" of the human form of the
sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).
According to an Italian press article, a member
of the Italian research team (Dr Monaco),said
that the findings of the research suggest two
hypotheses:
(a) that BASE could be a
sporadic variant of the cattle BSE, therefore
not transmitted by infected rendered feed;
(b) that BASE could be contagious for humans,
and could therefore be responsible for
some of the CJD found in humans and heretofore
considered "sporadic" or "random" and not directly
associated with BSE.


4. Along with the Italian study, France and Japan
have claimed to have found new forms of BSE.
This has led some scientists to speculate that these
discoveries could be associated with sporadic CJD.
According to Italian media, a scientist from the
Verona University went so far as to suggest that
10 to 20 percent of the sporadic CJD human cases
could in reality be caused by BASE. It is important
to note that at this time there is no scientific
evidence to substantiate a link with CJD in humans.

--------------
Next steps.
--------------

5. The effects of the newly-discovered BASE are currently being teste
possible to produce results in the short
term, while the Italians believe they can come out
with an initial response by autumn 2004.


6. The new discovery has not increased
Italian consumers' concerns about BSE. On the
contrary, the media tends to stress the fact that
the detection of BASE on the examined animals
demonstrates the reliability of the current testing

protocol. That said, most of the press articles
do make mention of the recent BSE case in the US.
Some of them also express concern about the
validity of the US testing system. Sembler


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2004ROME00740 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED