HC Deb 23 March 1994 vol 240 c319W
Dr. Strang

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect the Government expects any maternal or horizontal transmission of BSE to have on the epidemic itself.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

There is no unequivocal scientific evidence so far of the occurrence of either maternal or horizontal transmission of BSE. If either is occurring it is happening so infrequently that it is undetectable against the current background level of disease caused by contaminated feed. It is clear that although maternal transmission, if it is occurring, would increase the cumulative total of BSE cases, on its own it would be insufficient to perpetuate the epidemic under British farming conditions. The effect of horizontal transmission on the BSE epidemic would depend on the frequency and circumstances of its occurrence.