The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Veterinary Services and Animal Health's suspicions that Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (''Mad Cow Disease'') had infected herds of Kibbutzim Ortal and Merom Hagolan were verified today by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
The organization notified Veterinarian Services head Oded Nir that the brain sample from the diseased cow had been diagnosed with the disease. The Veterinarian Services then began to implement its emergency plan.
The measures will be carried out in full from Sunday, after the government approves a special budget for the purpose. The cost is estimated at NIS 30-50 million per year. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Shalom Simhon asked the Ministry of Finance for the necessary funds this morning.
The emergency plan includes compulsory brain tests for each cow over 30 months old slaughtered in Israel before the meat is released for human consumption and destruction of all internal organs of cattle slaughtered at over age 12 months. These organs are considered to be at a high risk of infection from the disease.
The sale of beef cattle over 30 months old in the Palestinian Authority will be forbidden, and control over animal movement will be stepped up.
The Ministry of Agriculture said the disease is not expected to have any effect on the meat market. No shortage is anicipated, since there is little chance of other cows being infected with the disease, since an epidemic is not involved. The ministry stressed that in any case, every cow reaching the slaughterhouse would be examined first, and only marketed afterwards.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on June 4, 2002