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International Journal of Epidemiology 2000;29:730-733
© International Epidemiological Association 2000

Have lessons been learned from the UK bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic?

Michael O'Brien

History is full of examples of public health, commerce and politics in conflict. In recent years attempts to protect UK egg producers, after the discovery of Salmonella enteritidis (phage type 4) in hens' eggs, strained previously good working relationships between medical and veterinary epidemiologists and ended the political career of a government minister who spoke out in defence of the public health. Against the background lessons of earlier high profile public health problems in the UK conflict should have been avoided when bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) started. It might have been expected that its significance for human health could have been recognized and researched earlier. Public announcements about it could have been timely and clear. Unfortunately this was not the case and it looks as though similar mistakes are going to be repeated over genetically modified foods.

Keywords Public health policy, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, commerce/conflict, genetically modified foods, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)

Accepted 7 February 2000


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