US embassy cable - 04ROME740

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 
 
 
NNNN 
	2004ROME00740 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED