Volume 4: The Southwood Working Party, 1988-89
10. Discussion
The risk to animals

10.110 At an early stage the Working Party concluded that there was no early prospect of identifying a rendering method that would entirely inactivate the BSE agent. They recommended that the ruminant feed ban should be extended indefinitely. The Government initially extended the ban for a further year, but subsequently made the ban indefinite. This was the single most important measure taken to eliminate BSE. Indirectly, of course, it was also a measure calculated to eliminate risk to human health.

10.111 At their first meeting the Working Party gave consideration to recommending that the ruminant feed ban be extended to pigs and poultry, but decided that the risk was so small that such a move was not warranted. ¹ They had, nonetheless, some concern as to the possibility that BSE might be transmissible to other species and recommended in their Report that if a specific test were to be developed, research on the agents of spongiform encephalopathies in non-mammals, including poultry, should be undertaken. Moreover, the Working Party drew attention to the more general dangers of infection inherent in the practice of recycling animal waste. ²

10.112 It was, of course, possible that pigs and poultry had been infected with TSEs, but never lived long enough to develop clinical symptoms. This would have been of no moment unless they risked infecting humans or other animals. These were possibilities that were considered later in the story. We do not consider that the Working Party is open to criticism for failing to reflect them in their Report, having regard to the state of knowledge and the material facts then prevailing.

10.113 The Working Party considered the possibility of transmission of BSE to cats and dogs and recommended that the surveillance of the health of domestic pets should be brought to the attention of the Consultative Committee on Research (the Tyrrell Committee) and the veterinary profession. ³

10.114 We consider that the Working Party did all that could be expected of them in relation to risks to animal health.