Government censored BSE science
25 October 2000
‘Government censored BSE science’
By FWi staff
THE GOVERNMENT censored important information and scientific findings about BSE, according to an expert on the disease.
Iain McGill says research linking a BSE-type disease in cats with the disease in cattle was blocked by his employers at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Central Veterinary Laboratory scientist Dr McGill and colleague Gerald Wells investigated cases of feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) in the late 1980s.
They were concerned, as humans and cats were seen to have a similar risk of contracting these agents, reports the BBC Radio 4 Farming Today programme.
But Dr McGill said news of this was blocked as MAFF policy was that references to a possible link between BSE and FSE should not appear in print in this country.
Bristol University vets finally published the research, but this was played down by MAFF.
Dr McGill also claims that a report on a mystery illness in hounds linked to brain damage was altered by MAFF officials to look less serious
Dr McGill says this should have prompted more research, but he later discovered that a civil servant had “watered it down” before presenting it to BSE advisors.
Eventually, after receiving no backing for work on BSE in animals, Dr McGill came to the conclusion that MAFF did not want to hear bad news and resigned.
He said: “I was told repeatedly that the chief veterinary officer has had it up to here with you scientists finding out about new diseases.”