First case of BSE reported in Switzerland since 2012
The cow (not pictured) was an isolated case
Keystone
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…
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
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.