November 4, 2005

Netherlands' BSE cases fall by 95.8 percent since 2002

The number of BSE cases in the Netherlands has fallen by more than 90 percent since 2002, according to the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

This trend is also seen in most other European countries, from figures provided by respective agricultural ministries.

Statistics from Italy, Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, and Ireland, recorded between 2002 and October 2005, show that only Italy recorded an increase in the number of cases from 2004.

All other countries show the number of BSE cases falling by 38-80 percent since 2004.

The Netherlands has the largest drop of 95.8 percent, recording only one case of BSE in 2005, compared with 24 cases in 2002.

The Dutch Meat Board (DMB) also pointed out that the number of BSE cases has nothing to do with the size of the national cattle herd. While France and Germany have the largest number of fully-grown cattle with 14.6 and 9.4 million respectively, it is Spain and Ireland that have reported the most cases of BSE in 2005 with 79 and 48 cases respectively.

This has prompted the EC to review the intensive BSE measures in place and it seems likely that these will be relaxed, the DMB added.