Volume 5: Animal Health, 1989-96
6. Breeding
Subsequent advice on breeding: 1995-96

6.87 Near the end of 1995, MAFF began work on revising the original 1990 Advisory Note to farmers. A draft version was submitted for SEAC's consideration at its meeting on 23 November 1995. On maternal transmission the draft stated:

Experiments are being carried out to determine whether BSE can be transmitted from dam to calf. Although these will not be completed until 1997, it is already clear that this happens rarely, if at all. If you wish to obtain advice on breeding from the offspring of cows affected with BSE, you should consult your veterinary surgeon. ¹

SEAC considered the draft Advisory Note during its meeting, but did not comment on the section on breeding. ²

6.88 By the time the final version was distributed in September 1996, maternal transmission studies had indicated that BSE could be maternally transmitted (see vol. 2: Science). Thus, the advice issued was:

Experiments have shown that BSE can be transmitted from a BSE infected dam to her calf. This maternal transmission of BSE is most likely to occur when a calf is born within 6 months of its dam developing clinical BSE; around 1% of cows which die of BSE will have produced a calf which will die of BSE as a result of maternal transmission. This will not prevent the eradication of BSE. MAFF advice is that you do not retain for breeding the most recent offspring of a BSE affected dam. You may wish to obtain further advice on breeding from the offspring of cows affected with BSE from your veterinary surgeon. ³