CHRONOLOGY-Mad cow disease in Japan

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CHRONOLOGY-Mad cow disease in Japan

 

Reuters, Aug 23 2002

 

TOKYO, Aug 23 (Reuters) - The following is a

chronology of developments surrounding the outbreak of

mad cow disease in Japan in September 2001, the first

outbreak of the disease in Asia.

 

The Health Ministry confirmed a fifth case of mad cow

disease on Thursday, rekindling a health scare that

has devastated Japan's food and livestock sector and

shaken consumer confidence.

 

A panel of animal-health experts on Friday reviewed

tests conducted the previous day and re-confirmed the

positive result.

 

Formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy

(BSE), mad cow disease has been linked in humans to

variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which has killed

about 125 people worldwide but none in Japan.

 

Cattle are believed to contract BSE by eating

contaminated meat-and-bone meal (MBM).

 

Previous cases have been discovered in Chiba, east of

Tokyo, the northern prefecture of Gunma and Japan's

northernmost main island of Hokkaido.

 

Japan's total cattle population, including calves,

stands at 4.5 million head -- 2.8 million beef cattle

and 1.7 million dairy. In 2000, Japanese beef output

totalled 364,145 tonnes and its imports stood at

738,415 tonnes.

 

March 1996

 

Japan bans imports of meat-and-bone meal from Britain.

 

April 1996

 

Japan asks local livestock industry not to use

meat-and-bone meal (MBM) for cattle feed, but it is

not a legal ban.

 

June 2001

 

The European Commission says Japan's government has

withdrawn its cooperation on a Commission study that

was moving towards the conclusion that BSE could break

out in Japan.

 

Sept 10, 2001

 

Japan's Agriculture Ministry says a dairy cow tested

positive for mad cow disease in the Chiba area near

Tokyo.

 

Sept 22, 2001

 

Japan's Agriculture Ministry says UK tests carried out

on a Japanese cow suspected of having mad cow disease

proved positive, confirming the first outbreak in

Japan.

 

Oct 18, 2001

 

Japan's Health Ministry begins testing all cows

slaughtered for beef for BSE.

 

Nov 21, 2001

 

Japan's Health Ministry says a 67-month-old Holstein

dairy cow from the northern island of Hokkaido tested

positive for the brain-wasting disease, the second

case in the country.

 

Nov 30, 2001

 

The Third case is discovered in a 68-month-old

Holstein dairy cow at a dairy farm in Gunma, north of

Tokyo.

 

May 11, 2002

 

A 73-month-old Holstein dairy cow at a dairy farm in

Onbetsucho, Hokkaido, northern Japan, tests positive

for BSE, the fourth case In Japan.

 

May 13, 2002

 

Panel of experts officially declares the fourth case.

 

Aug 22, 2002

 

Final tests on a six-year-old dairy cow slaughtered In

Kanagawa, near Tokyo, come up positive for the

brain-wasting disease, the fifth case in Japan.

 

Aug 23, 2002

 

Health Ministry experts panel re-confirms the positive

result.

 

©2002, PRIMEDIA Business Magazines & Media Inc. All

rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

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