Volume 6: Human Health, 1989-96
5. Human health developments: 1 January 1991 to 31 March 1995
Government pronouncements, media concerns and public reaction
Introduction
Transmission of BSE to primates
SEs in other species
Television documentaries and other programmes on BSE during 1992

Introduction

5.295 In this section we shall look at the reaction of the media, the Government and others in response to some of the events described earlier in this chapter. Occasionally we touch on developments in the incidence of CJD in farmers and teenagers during this period, which are not described in detail in this chapter but in vol. 8: Variant CJD. It has been necessary to mention these developments here to provide the context of the various pronouncements by the Government.

Transmission of BSE to primates

5.296 As described earlier, in February 1992 the experimental transmission of BSE to marmosets was communicated to MAFF and DH and discussed by SEAC, which concluded that 'the results of the experiment were not surprising and had no implications for the safeguards already in place for human and animal health'. ¹

5.297 Mr Lowson noted in a minute to Mr Gummer that, after the MRC had sent the results to MAFF, the Secretary of the MRC, Dr Dai Rees, had suggested to Mr Meldrum that 'as the result of this experiment was predictable but open to misinterpretation, it would be better not to make an announcement'. Mr Lowson advised the Minister that 'Silence would however be open to even more misinterpretation, when the story emerged, and would not be in line with Ministers' stated approach to releasing Tyrrell Committee advice'. ²

5.298 Following SEAC's conclusion on the implications of the experiment, MAFF published a news release on 4 March 1992, based on a written answer by David Maclean (Parliamentary Secretary, MAFF) to a Parliamentary Question:

It has been known for some time that, under experimental conditions, BSE can be transmitted to a range of species - mice, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. In most cases, this has been accomplished only by direct inoculation of large doses of infectious material from cows affected with BSE, although mice have also succumbed after being fed with large quantities of infected cattle brain material.

As part of this programme of work designed to clarify the range of species susceptible to BSE, an experiment conducted by the Medical Research Council and MAFF has resulted in BSE being transmitted to a marmoset following inoculation of cattle brain material derived from a BSE affected cow into its brain and body cavity.

Although it was already known that marmosets were susceptible under similar artificial laboratory conditions, to other spongiform encephalopathies, the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, chaired by David Tyrrell, were immediately asked to advise on the implications of this experiment. The Committee concluded that the results of the experiment were not surprising and had no implications for the safeguards already in place for human and animal health. ³

5.299 A Question and Answer brief was also prepared by Mr Lowson, which included the following:

1) Marmosets are primates - doesn't that mean that BSE could affect man?

The experiment shows simply that under very artificial conditions (the inoculation of a large dose of heavily infected material direct into the brain of the animal) marmosets are susceptible - which is what would have been expected. Other experiments show that this artificial route of transmission is some 100,000 times more effective as a means of transmitting infection than the oral route. So far, BSE has been transmitted by the oral route only in mice, and even then as a result only of feeding them on about (three-quarters) of their body weight of the brain of BSE cases. Humans, and all animal species, are protected from exposure to the BSE agent by the specified bovine offal ban - although in practice infection has so far been detected only in the brains of affected cattle.

2) Doesn't this experiment show that there is a lot that we don't know about the disease?

Quite the reverse: As the Tyrrell Committee advised, the result is not surprising. It is another piece of evidence about the similarity between BSE and other diseases like scrapie. ⁴

5.300 In October 1992, various newspaper articles raised concerns about the implications of the increased host range of BSE in light of the publication by the Press Association of results from various experiments conducted at the CVL on cattle, pigs, goats, sheep and marmosets. On Friday 16 October 1992, an article quoted Dr Gareth Roberts, a neuroanatomist from St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London:

The sort of scientific objection that BSE couldn't pass to humans is fatally weakened . . . As primates, marmosets are close to us. ⁵

Discussion: release of the marmoset results

5.301 The release of the result of the marmoset experiment was, indeed, in accordance with the policy of openness inaugurated by Mr Gummer. Mr Lowson did his best, however, to ensure that the information did not give rise to public alarm or false conclusions as to the implications of the transmission achieved.

5.302 The experiment had originally been designed to give guidance on the question of whether BSE might be transmissible to humans. In the event the experiment does not appear to have been of much value.

5.303 The statement in the draft Q&A brief that BSE had been transmitted by the oral route only in mice, and even then by feeding them with three-quarters of their body weight, indicates that Mr Lowson was unaware of the NPU BSE into sheep experiment.

SEs in other species

5.304 As reported earlier in this chapter, during 1991 and 1992 FSE was identified in a puma and a cheetah. Kudus in London Zoo had also contracted SEs.

5.305 An article in the Independent on 29 June 1992 discussed the deaths of the cheetah and puma, and the likely cause of infection. ⁶ It was recorded that Mr Meldrum said that 'in all probability' the agent for the disease would have been in the puma's food, and that experiments showed that the causative agent of BSE had 'not been identified outside the brains of affected cows'. He said that the removal of SBO from the food chain removed any risk to humans from eating beef. The zoo's director, Dr Michael Bramble, said the animals were not fed heads, only 'split carcasses from the neck downwards'.

5.306 The article concluded with further comment from Mr Meldrum, saying that he was not surprised that the puma and the cheetah had gone down with the disease 'because we know that cats are susceptible'. He was reported to have said:

This does not change my overall view of the epidemiology of the encephalopathies. It has no bearing whatsoever on BSE and has no implications on the remote threat to man which is controlled and eliminated by the measures discussed.

5.307 In relation to the deaths of the three kudus, Mr Soames said in written evidence that he had sought advice from officials on the relevance of the findings. He said that he was told that there was no relevance to human health, and that there was no need to 'review the public message about human health'. ⁷

Television documentaries and other programmes on BSE during 1992

5.308 In 1992 several television documentaries on BSE were made. A fictional drama called 'Natural Lies' was also broadcast on television. The latter resulted in correspondence between MAFF and the BBC's Managing Director, Will Wyatt, over proposed content and sourcing. The star character of this thriller serial 'fear(ed) he may have found the first link in a dangerous cover-up of food industry double-dealings'. ⁸ MAFF viewed the content of 'Natural Lies' as a potential worry as it concerned BSE and drew on advice from both Professor Lacey and Dr Grant. Mr Derek Andrews put forward to the BBC the view that 'you might have also considered taking advice for the series from recognised authorities in the field of BSE research'. ⁹

5.309 On 1 June 1992, Dr David Clark MP (Opposition spokesperson for food and agriculture) issued a press release entitled '630 more "mad cows" each week in UK'. ¹⁰ This stated that the incidence of 'mad cow' disease had continued to rise that year with the total number of cases amounting to more than 55,300. Dr Clark was quoted as saying:

In the pre-election period, the government was trying to con us that the disease would start declining soon. Unfortunately, the latest figures fail to support their case.

5.310 The press release coincided with the broadcast of 'Natural Lies', and the two events caused further media interest. ¹¹ On 2 June 1992, The Times, Financial Times, Daily Mirror and Today all reported that there were 631 new cases of BSE a week. The Financial Times reported that 'Mr David Clark . . . is to call for an independent report into "mad cow disease" '. ¹² In response MAFF sought to reassure shoppers in an article in the Evening Standard entitled 'Call for calm over new mad cow alert'. ¹³ This reported that an unspecified Ministry spokesman had said that 'Beef is perfectly safe to eat in this country. It is safe for adults, for children and even those in hospital.'

5.311 A BBC documentary on 'Public Eye' called 'Mad Cow Contagion', screened on 16 October 1992, focused on the rise in number of cows with BSE to 70,000. The documentary also addressed the possibility of maternal transmission between cows and their calves. It was thought that maternal transmission may have occurred in two cases, and there was suspicion that antelope at London Zoo were also passing on 'a form of BSE' to their young. Mr Meldrum was questioned on both issues. With regard to maternal transmission, Mr Meldrum said: 'There is no evidence of maternal transmission occurring in the UK with the exception of these two possible cases. And that's out of 70,000 so certainly maternal transmission is not a major problem.' Dr Gareth Roberts commented, 'I think the fact that it was predicted that it would never occur and now it appears to have occurred means you need to change your ideas.'

5.312 Dr Harash Narang, a clinical microbiologist ¹⁴, also appeared on the documentary. He proposed that BSE was caused by a type of viral infection, and that he was developing a live test which would reveal sick animals.

5.313 Mr Lowson circulated a minute entitled, 'BSE: "Public Eye" 16 October: Line to take'. ¹⁵ Simon Dugdale, MAFF Chief Information Officer, added to the minute with the following paragraph on 'risk to humans':

No reason to believe that BSE would harm humans under natural conditions. Conclusion endorsed by CMO. Southwood Working Party assessed the risk as remote. There is no evidence of any relationship between scrapie in sheep and any human disease, stretching back over centuries, and BSE infection has been passed to other species only as a result of highly artificial laboratory procedures. But the Government has acted throughout on the assumption that there might be a risk, and has therefore done everything possible to remove the BSE agent from the food chain, notably by slaughtering and completely destroying all suspect cases and by removing the tissues from clinically healthy cattle which might harbour infection from any food chain. ¹⁶