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Hold inquiry into 'meal' imports, doctors urge govt

Beef at stake

• Don't panic
• Meat and bonemeal never been fed to cattle here

By Kumudini Hettiarachchi

This is what the Sri Lankan government must examine in-depth and act on with speed in the light of statements contained in the report of the BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) Inquiry set up by the British government in 1996 and released last month.

The report released on October 26, quotes Paul Foxcroft, on behalf of Prosper De Mulder (PDM) Ltd., the largest rendering company in the United Kingdom as saying in evidence: "PDM did export MBM to Europe and other countries (mainly Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka) after the emergence of BSE. The MBM was for use in poultry or pig feeds and post-September 1990 was produced from non-SBO raw materials. The quantities exported represented a small proportion of PDM's total MBM sales (approx. 5%) and were at prices compatible with those on the home market." 

What Foxcroft meant by MBM was mammalian meat and bonemeal and non-SBO raw materials was non-specified bovine offal. But what of the period before September 1990 and after 1986, when BSE had been identified in the UK? Are we also certain that in Sri Lanka, what PDM exported was not fed to cattle?

The question which arises 10 years after is: What are the implications for Sri Lanka? It has also highlighted the urgent need for the Sri Lankan government to rethink the country's policies with specific relevance to imports not only of food products but also other items linked to the food chain.

Mad cow disease, which affects the brain and spinal cord of cattle with lesions characterised by sponge-like changes, even visible with an ordinary microscope, was first found in the UK in 1986. It is a progressive, lethal central nervous system disease among cattle and leaves clear holes in their brains, giving the brain the appearance of a sponge. Epidemiological research had led to the conclusion that the cattle were infected by this disease after being fed with sheep offal (the leftover parts of butchered animals) in protein supplements.

According to reports, between November 1986 and November 2000 around 180,000 cases of this cattle disease were confirmed in the UK. In 1988,the UK introduced the Specified Bovine Offal (SBO) ban, thus halting the use of the brain, spinal cord and spleen in animal feed. 

The mad cow scare took a turn for the worse when a link was established between a neurological disease dubbed the new variant of the Creuzfeldt-Jakob Disease (nvCJD) and eating beef infected by BSE. Though sporadic cases of CJD had been reported worldwide nvCJD was something different and more frightening, bringing the mad cow disease back into focus. (See box — Don't panic) And all this while, the Sri Lankan authorities continued to allow the import of animal feed (mainly mammalian meat and bonemeal — MBM or MMBM) to the country. No one of course, knows whether such imports were infected or not. 

The proof lies in a press release issued by the British High Commission in Colombo on November 13: "The UK has not exported MMBM to Sri Lanka since 1993. In February 1990, the UK Chief Veterinary Officer wrote to Chief Veterinary Officers in non-European Union countries, including Sri Lanka, advising them of the situation regarding BSE in the UK and alerting them to the fact that contaminated meat and bonemeal were the most likely causes. Sri Lankan health authorities could therefore make their own decisions on banning the import of MMBM from the UK. In March 1996, the EU banned the export of MMBM; since then export of MMBM from the UK to any other country has been prohibited."

When The Sunday Times asked the British High Commission why Britain didn't put a stop to such exports without letting the importing countries decide, a spokesperson said, "The UK acted in a responsible manner by sharing all information about BSE as and when new facts came to light. It was up to individual countries to take whatever action they felt was appropriate."

What this indicates is that in a crisis it should be each to his own and the responsibility falls on Lanka's 'Chief Veterinary Officer'. 

"Under the liberalized economy, any person could contact a supplier of any product in any country and arrange for the importation of items, which required no licence. We would keep a tab only on items that required licences," a source at the Department of Import and Export Controls, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

The source said that after the mad cow scare, in 1996, a committee was appointed to look into the matter. That committee recommended that animal feed should be imported under licence. The matter was taken up by Cabinet and a Gazette Notification (No. 949/5/12 November 1996) issued specifying that a licence was required for such imports. The procedure is for a prospective importer to get authorisation from the Department of Animal Production and Health before approaching import-export control officials. 

Since 1996, there have been no animal feed imports to Sri Lanka from Britain, the source added. 

Though that may sound reassuring, the question which keeps cropping up is: What of animal feed imports before 1996 and since the mad cow disease was first detected in 1986? 

A team of doctors attached to the Colombo University, Dr. Saroj Jayasinghe, Dr. (Ms.) Manodhi Saranapala and Dr. Charles Anthony who are researching this issue stress the need for the authorities to find out whether any Sri Lankan official authorised the import of MMBM after the 1990 February alert from UK's Chief Veterinary Officer. 

The doctors have called for: 

*The Ministry of Health with the relevant ministries to form a committee or commission of inquiry on the importation of foods unsuitable for consumption, including radioactive milk, infected cattle feed etc. 

*The Sri Lanka Medical Association to take up this issue with the relevant authorities and mobilize the medical professionals and provide medical expertise on the issue. 

*The Ministry of Foreign Affairs to lodge a protest with its counterpart in the UK. 

When contacted, the Director General of Health, Dr. A.M.L. Beligaswatte said the health authorities would discuss this issue at their meeting next month. He was not aware of any cases of people contracting nvCDJ after eating infected meat in Sri Lanka, he added. 

With the past in mind, where there have been many charges of food and other edible items being dumped on Sri Lanka, such as radioactive milk powder after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, pesticide injected oranges and apples dipped in poisonous substances, the government should take the infected animal feed issue as a learning experience. Serious thought needs to be given to regulate the import policy and have one body in control, with experts on different subjects assisting in the decision-making. Such a body would then be able to act quickly, whenever cases like the mad cow issue arise and ensure standards and check quality. It is also essential for the people of the country to be informed of the gravity of an issue and advised accordingly. 

Don't panic

The first is 'classical' CJD which affects middle-aged or older people and is a rare condition that may occur one in a million. "In my medical career spanning two to three decades, I've seen two or three cases," he said. The symptoms for this are dementia, myoclonic jerks and characteristic changes in the electro encephalogram (EEG). The duration of the disease is also shorter, maybe five months or slightly more. 

However, nvCJD which has been found to be linked to BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) is contracted by younger people (age group 29 years). They have psychiatric symptoms, behave abnormally and have visual abnormalities. But there are no changes in the EEG. The duration of the illness which is fatal is also more and could go on for about two years, Dr. Wijesekera said. 

No cases of nvCJD, which is linked to BSE have been detected so far in Sri Lanka, stressed Dr. Wijesekera, with well-known neurologist Dr. J.B. Peiris agreeing. 

From October 1996 to early November 2000, 85 cases of nvCJD have been reported in the UK, three in France and one in Ireland. According to a report published in December last year quoting official figures 48 have died of nvCJD in Britain, two in France and one in Ireland. 

The disease is caused by a 'prion' a very infectious virus particle and is resistant to normal sterilisation procedures. 

Meat and bonemeal never been fed to cattle here

Q. Soon after the mad cow disease panic, Britain banned the use of animal feed for their cattle in 1988. What action did Sri Lanka take in this regard in the light of the fact that we were importing British animal feed — MMBM? 

A: No action was taken at this time for two reasons; one is that the epidemiology and the aetiology of the condition was not clear; it was something completely new and although there was considerable speculation regarding its origin, no one was certain.

Secondly, MBM is not fed to cattle in Sri Lanka since we do not have a beef industry as such.

Q. The British High Commission has issued a press release that in February 1990 UK's Chief Veterinary Officer wrote to the Chief Veterinary Officers in non-EU countries, including Sri Lanka, advising them of the situation regarding BSE in the UK and alerting them to the fact that contaminated meat and bonemeal were the most likely causes. Did the Dept. of Animal Production and Health stop the import of MMBM from Britain then? If not, why, in the face of such a threat?

A: Meat and bonemeal have never been fed to cattle in Sri Lanka, only to poultry and pigs; if nothing else, the economics prohibit the feeding of MBM to cattle or to goats.

Q. Have any tests been done on Sri Lankan cattle to ascertain whether they have contracted the mad cow disease?

A: There are no easy tests for the BSE Agent.

The only way to confirm is by carrying out histopathology on the brains of cows showing clinical signs. In Sri Lanka, we would need to do histopath on the brains of all animals showing neurological signs;
this is not possible in practice and has not been done;
No animals with typical clinical signs have been reported from Sri Lanka

Q. If such tests have been done, have any cases of 'mad cow' been detected in Sri Lanka? 

A. No

Q. Before licences were introduced for MMBM, what was the procedure for its import? 

A. No special procedures other than a duty waiver granted by the ministry to encourage genuine manufacturers.

Q. Was there an authority to regulate such imports and check for quality? 

A. No; the Animal Feeds Act which regulates animal feed imports as well as local manufacture was implemented in January, 1998

Q. After licences were introduced for MMBM in 1996, has any animal feed been imported from UK? 

A: Definitely not.

Q. What are the countries from which Sri Lanka is importing animal feed and is this tested for quality?

A: Meat and meat products are currently being brought mainly from Australia, New Zealand and South American countries which have always been free from BSE. Some imports are also allowed from India ( never reported BSE) and Germany which has proved that it no longer carries a risk of BSE. There is no test that you can carry out on feed ingredients that will demonstrate the causal agent.

Q. What is the guarantee that Sri Lanka is not receiving infected animal feed from Britain, through indirect ways?

A. Before we allow MBM or any other beef product, we obtain official (government) certification on the country of origin; that the meat or products were derived from animals born and bred in that country. We do not allow any imports from UK or from the seven other countries in which BSE is endemic, either direct or indirect. 

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