ITALY: COUNTRY THROWN INTO PANIC AFTER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE FIRST CASE OF BSE IN ITALY SINCE 1994

Record ID: 647668

  • Title: ITALY: COUNTRY THROWN INTO PANIC AFTER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE FIRST CASE OF BSE IN ITALY SINCE 1994
  • Date: 14th January 2001
  • Summary: MALPENSATA FARM, PONTEVICO, BRESCIA, ITALY (JANUARY 14, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS NEWSPAPER STAND IN VILLAGE (2 SHOTS) 0.07 2. VARIOUS NEWSPAPER HEADLINES READING: "A CASE OF MAD COW IN ITALY"/ MORE OF STAND (4 SHOTS) 0.19 3. VARIOUS OF FARM WHERE SUSPECTED CASE CAME FROM (4 SHOTS) 0.37 4. VARIOUS MILK COWS STILL ALIVE (5 SHOTS) 1.02 5. VARIOUS CLOSE-UPS OF EAR TAG MARKINGS ON COWS (3 SHOTS) 1.18 6. VARIOUS OF COWS ON FARM (5 SHOTS) 1.48 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 29th January 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MALPENSATA FARM, PONTEVICO, BRESCIA, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVA2Z6OXUE3F489RD1LID8CXWGI4
  • Story Text: The first case of suspected mad cow disease in Italy since 1994
    has thrown the country into near panic this weekend and the
    health minister has sought to reassure consumers ahead
    of final test results due next week.



    The Italian Health ministry announced in a statement
    released on Saturday (January 13) that a suspected case of the
    disease in a cow born in 1994 had been picked up in obligatory
    tests.

    The milk cow came from the Malpensata farm, in the village
    of Pontevico, some 100 kilometres northeast of Milan.

    The farm was closed late on Saturday night and in the
    early morning an inspection team arrived early on Sunday
    morning to carry out tests on the remaining 150 milk cows.

    The Health Ministry said initial tests to detect bovine
    spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the suspected animals brain
    tissue had given doubtful results, leading the local animal
    health institute to pass the case to the national institute in
    Turin.

    Final test results are expected on Tuesday evening
    (January 16), the Ministry said.

    The cow was slaughtered in Ospedaletto Lodigiano, a small
    town south of Milan on January 11, the ministry said.

    The Health Ministry said the animals meat was kept at the
    slaughterhouse together with the meat of animals slaughtered
    straight afterwards.

    Under new EU rules to prevent the spread of mad cow
    disease, cattle aged over 30 months must be tested for BSE.

    The tests were introduced after an increase in mad cow cases
    in Europe.

    The so-called prionics test used in Europe examines the
    brain of the dead animal for the presence of prions, the
    material that causes the deadly brain-wasting disorder.

    Two confirmed cases of BSE were detected in Italy in 1994,
    involving British cattle imported to Sicily. Both animals were
    destroyed.


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