Epidemiosurveillance of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Belgium during1998

In 1998, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was diagnosed in cows aged from 54 to 71 months in the Western Flanders (3 cases), Eastern Flanders (2 cases) and in the area of Liege (1 case), Today, the proposed hypotheses a re: occurrence of sporadic cases without identifiable cause; cross-contamin ation between compound feed for monogastric animals containing meals of ani mal origin and compound feed for polygastric animals without meals of anima l origin, during the manufacturing process, the storage or distribution; us e of animal meals in the compound feed for bovines before the ban (27/7/199 4), The presence of contaminated meals of animal origin cannot be excluded as BSE risk factor in Belgium. However, the origin of these meals is not de termined yet.