Bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the United Kingdom: memorandum from a WHO meeting

This Memorandum reviews the current state of research being carried out on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) and examines the results of epidemiological studies conducted on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in the United Kingdom. It is concluded that the BSE epidemic is on the decline and the policies adopted in the United Kingdom are sufficient to minimize the risk of exposure to BSE of all species, including humans.