Ukraine to set up new diagnostic centre for animal diseases
The veterinary service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture has said it plans to establish a diagnostic centre for prion diseases of animals, in particular bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease). The move is seen as consolidating the country’s success in avoiding serious infection while surrounding countries report cases. The government recently announced that the epizootic situation remains stable and is under control. During the course of 2001 year no BSE cases were registered.
Once fully functioning the centre will have the capacity to conduct about 1,000 tests on animals every 24 hours. The need for such a service has been underlined over the past year as BSE has moved steadily across Europe. If the necessary funding is made available immediately the centre can be completed within 3-4 months.
