Written question asked by Bob Blizzard (Labour) on Thursday, 22 January 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 2 February 1998. It was answered by Lord Rooker (Labour) on Monday, 2 February 1998 on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Question: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the potential for canine immunity to BSE-related disease to be used to develop vaccines for BSE and CJD.

Answer: Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the potential for canine immunity to BSE-related disease to be used to develop vaccines for BSE and CJD. [25920] Mr. Rooker: Any resistance that canines may have to infection with BSE may not be associated with an immune response. Indeed there is no "immunity" in the traditional sense of the word with any of the TSEs, so consequently vaccination in its recognised form is unlikely to be possible. In experimental studies in mice, defects in the immune system actually lead to resistance to infection with TSE agents. Current thinking suggests that "resistance" to infection is associated with significant differences in amino acid sequences of the "incoming infectious agent" and the amino acid coded for by the PrP gene of the animal being challenged. The greater the disparity, the greater the resistance to infection. Studies are currently in place to evaluate the extent of differences in PrP gene sequences of some species, including canines, that appear to be resistant to BSE. These studies are incomplete.

Secondary information