Past crises related to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, the spread of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and the occurrence of dioxins in feedingstuffs have shown the consequences of the improper use of certain animal by-products for public and animal health, the safety of the food and feed chain and consumer confidence.

Since the discovery of CWD on an Alberta elk farm in 2002, the Food Inspection Agency has ordered 8,000 infected elk killed, in addition to two confirmed cases of CWD in Alberta deer; 9,000 animals in Saskatchewan have been killed as a result of a CWD outbreak traced to one local game farm; and links have been established between every infected herd and a single herd source in the province that imported infected elk from a private South Dakota game farm in 1989.

On the clinical signs of CWD, the animal becomes emaciated, with poor body condition, rough hair coat, droopy ears, behavioural changes, excessive salivation, excessive drinking, lethargy, and inevitably death, because CWD always leads to death, period.

Adopted on 13 November 1996 by the Commission, which informed the Council of Ministers on 5 December, the action plan on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs, including Creutzfeld-Jakob disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy) aims to promote research which will increase knowledge of TSEs and, if possible, identify ways of responding to the grave uncertainties thrown up by the mad cow crisis: transmissibility of BSE to man, transmission mechanisms of prion diseases, treatment and prevention .This plan therefore concentrates research on the six following areas:

...e spongiform encephalopathies) constitutes a problem in the field of public health and considered it necessary that all appropriate measures be taken to eliminate the risk of possible transmission of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), WHEREAS only scientific research can provide rational, valid answers to the numerous questions this pathology continues to pose, and guide governments on the decisions they will have to take, WHEREAS cooperation at Community level between national research teams can bring about real progress in knowledge in this area, and the Community dimension can consolidate the various methodologies, contribute ...[+++]to the use of harmonized criteria and facilitate a wider multi-disciplinary approach, The Council: - CONSIDERS it necessary that cooperation and coordination of research efforts and exchange of information in this field be significantly improved and CALLS UPON the Commission to take the necessary measures to this end; - INVITES the Commission to continue to provide updated information on the research efforts undertaken under the fourth framework programme and, in particular, to give an account of recent calls for proposals concerning bovine transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and possible links with neuro-degenerative diseases in humans; - CALLS UPON the Commission to reinforce its research activities on topics in this field, - covering both basic and applied biology and human and animal health aspects, as well as diagnostic aspects, - in particular within the LIFE SCIENCES programmes; - AGREES to reexamine this question at the next meeting of the Research Council (5 December 96) on the basis of a communication from the Commission, taking into account ongoing research activities, including work underway and planned in Member States, and scientific advice from a number of expert groups, including that chaired by Prof. Weismann and the Multidisciplinary Scientific Committee". ...

Working on the basis of the priorities identified by the Weissmann report, this plan focuses research on the five following areas: * clinical and epidemiological research on human spongiform encephalopathies * the infectious agent and its transmission mechanisms * diagnosis of spongiform encephalopathies * evaluation of the risk of contracting spongiform encephalopathies * treatment and prevention of spongiform encephalopathies.