Volume 2: Science
4. The link between BSE and vCJD

4.1 Following the emergence of BSE in 1986, the potential for transmission of the disease to humans was of major concern to both scientists and government officials. The Southwood Working Party advised that, on the basis of experience with scrapie, the risk of transmission to humans was remote. ¹ Because the possibility that BSE could be transmitted orally to humans could not be entirely ruled out, the Working Party advised that known affected animals should not enter the human food chain, nor should their milk. Furthermore, they considered it a reasonable assumption that should BSE transmit to humans, the resultant clinical disorder would closely resemble CJD. In their recommendations for research, the Consultative Committee on Research chaired by Dr Tyrrell (the Tyrrell Committee) concurred that the risk to humans from BSE was remote and noted that epidemiological studies conducted around the world had not identified a causal link between scrapie and CJD. ² However, the need to be able to give the same assurance about the lack of effect of BSE on human health was recognised. The Committee therefore recommended the surveillance of cases of CJD with particular reference to overall incidence, geographical distribution, age and sex distribution, occupational history, association with medication and any atypical clinical features. They also recommended prospective monitoring of groups with high exposure to bovine materials. The work of the Southwood Working Party and the Tyrrell Committee is described in vol. 4: The Southwood Working Party, 1988-89 and vol. 11: Scientists after Southwood respectively.