To all - Mad Cow Disease in France.
January 17, 1999
France Reports Mad Cow Disease Case
Filed at 4:30 p.m. EST
By The Associated Press
PARIS (AP) -- French agriculture officials ordered the destruction of a herd
of cattle after the discovery of a new case of mad cow disease, the
Agriculture Ministry said Sunday.
The infected cow was discovered last week in Normandy and represents the
third case of mad cow disease so far this year and the 52nd case in France
since 1990, said Bertrand Hervieu, an adviser to Agriculture Minister Jean
Glavany.
The herd of 170 cattle was slaughtered following the discovery of the infected
cow, Hervieu said.
The new case comes amid concerns about 18 cases discovered in 1998. The
Agriculture Ministry has launched an investigation to find out why the disease
persists.
Glavany said recently the surge in cases in France may be the result of
problems with animal feed.
Mad cow disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, was first detected in
1985. It causes holes in the brain, making cattle stagger and drool. There is no
known cure.
Scientists believe mad cow disease may be linked to an equally fatal human
brain ailment, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.
Copyright 1999 The New York Times Company |
