First case of BSE reported in Switzerland since 2012
A case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has been reported in a farm cow in central Switzerland, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). This is the first Swiss case of BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease, since 2012.
The neurodegenerative disease was detected at the beginning of the year in a 13-year-old cow on a farm in Einsiedeln, the OIE said, citing a report from the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary OfficeExternal link (FSVO).
Brainstem samples were taken for analysis and the animal was killed on January 23 – “because it was old and lame, not because it was ill”, the cantonal vet explained. The samples showed that the BSE had been caused by a genetic mutation and not an infection from food.
The FSVO told swissinfo.ch that as this was an isolated atypical case no special measures were necessary and there was no risk of the disease spreading.
BSE initially appeared in Britain in 1986 and the first case of BSE in Switzerland – the first to be discovered on the European continent – was reported in 1990. The disease spread owing to cattle being fed animal meal which included misfolded proteins called prions.
At the time, meat sales in Switzerland dropped by about 10% because of low demand for beef.
Peak BSE
The crisis over mad cow disease reached a peak in Switzerland in 1995 when nearly 70 cases were reported across the country.
The veterinary office introduced fast BSE tests in 1999 to monitor cattle, and in 2001 the authorities imposed a complete ban on meat and bone meal in feed for livestock.
This content was published on
Stefan Mann, a researcher at the Agroscope research institute, which is attached to the Federal Agriculture Office, expects further food scandals, which in his view are caused primarily by the attitudes of consumers. Despite claiming in surveys to be uncomfortable with the anonymous mass production of food, consumers, according to Mann, are chiefly led by…
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Social change stirs emotions in the kitchen
This content was published on
By their own admission, almost one in three Swiss pays no attention to his or her diet and shows no interest in dietary recommendations. This was one of several surprising findings of the Sixth Swiss Nutrition Report, published every seven years and most recently in January, when the Swiss received a resounding “could do better”…
This content was published on
Deep freezers in Swiss supermarkets offer a wide range of popular dishes such as lasagne al forno, lasagne verdi and lasagne Bolognese – all labelled as containing beef. Since February, however, when tests revealed horse in such products around Europe in varying amounts, the Swiss have been asking themselves what exactly is in the processed…
This content was published on
After nine years of legal wrangling, judges said the authorities could not be held liable for the losses, but the farmers said they might take their case to a European court. The ruling, published on Monday, said the Federal Veterinary Office and the Agriculture Office could not be blamed for failing to implement a ban…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.