Why do we need a private BSE-Chronicle?

Last update: 13.05.2002

Why do we need a private BSE chronicle?

The Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture (BMVEL) publishes an official chronicle of the German BSE-cases. Why, then, the need for an additional private BSE-chronicle? I have undertaken this voluntary task for the following reasons:

Occasionally I need for my personal epidemiological work data which are reliable and as detailed as possible.
The Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection does not provide in its BSE-chronicle any information as to whether and if so, where and to whom a BSE-animal became conspicous prior to slaughter because of specific or unspecific BSE-symptoms. As these information are very important for epidemiological research they are provided in my chronicle as far as I have been able to retrieve them. Unfortunately most competent authorities of the Laender are rather unwilling to forward information, and the Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection may only publish these information with the consent of the Laender.
Amazingly the BSE-chronicle of the Federal Ministry contains several factual errors. These errors can only be recognised by comparison with alternative chronicles, and my chronicle provides links to the respective sources to enable people to check out the information given by me.
The official BSE-chronicle conceals BSE suspect cases and renders it thus impossible to establish the quota of false positive BSE-tests. Fortunately the Bavarian Ministry for Consumer Protection shows more openness in its press releases, thus my chronicle will at least for Bavaria provide information as to the development of the reliability of the tests.
The Federal BSE-chronicle does not tend to overly topicality, as the Federal Ministry does not rely on modern means of communication and according to its own statements takes up new cases only after having received them in writing through the official channels.

One thing the new Consumer Minister Renate Künast initially promised and which is urgently needed in Germany is a new culture of openness and honestness when dealing with information which are inconvenient and not directly promoting consumption. Within this respect one has for instance to regard the citizens' right to data collected by the authorities as requested by the Northrhine-Westphalian Agriculture Minister Bärbel Höhn. A good example for actually informative and topical internet sites is provided by the British Agricultural Ministry which seems to have learned by now from the legitimate criticism concerning its former reservations. In Germany after initial problems the most generous readiness to hand out information is presently found in Baden-Württemberg and Bayern. It can only be hoped that in the long run even Niedersachsen, Rheinland-Pfalz and Schleswig-Holstein will follow suit and provide at least the most necessary data.

Since the 27th of November 2001 Baden-Württemberg provides more details on its confirmed BSE-cases. Bayern has been willing to follow suit. Hopefully other Laender will join this respectable information policy!

During the past 12 month until March 2002 this chronicle has been called upon 11.400 times by information seeking people, but within this period only 5 of them contributed to its quality by forwarding information themselves. Consumer protection and research as to the causes of BSE will not be sufficiently promoted by leaving the work to a few thereby demanding too much of them. Therefore I aks all visitors of my site that are interested in BSE to forward additional details concerning the BSE (suspect) cases.

My list contains only the cases notified since November 2000. The BSE-cases diagnosed in cattle imported from Great Britain and Switzerland to Germany in the previous years you will find in the official BSE-statistic of the federal government.

A view into the abyss of conditions prior to the implementation of the BSE-screening tests is provided by Dr. Köster-Lösche's table containing the not correctly investigated BSE suspect cases which alone occurred at the slaughter plant of Bad Bramstedt. This sloppiness had only consequences for the brave Mrs. Dr. Margrit Herbst (meanwhile honoured with the recognized Whistleblower-Price 2001), who, because of her public protest against her superiors' irresponsible handling of these BSE-suspect cases, lost her employment as official veterinarian and was never again employed by somebody else. Who would therefore wonder that BSE was previously diagnosed only in a few imported cattle?

(Translation by Ingrid Schütt-Abraham)

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