SLOVENIA: FIRST MAD COW DISEASE CASE CONFIRMED

LJUBLJANA, Nov 16 (Hina) - A sample analysis of meat of the first Slovenian cow suspected of having mad cow disease tested positive, the Slovenian National Veterinary Institute reported Friday. The definite confirmation that the suspicious cow, raised at a farm in the upper Sava river valley, indeed is ill with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) should be made Monday or Tuesday, when the results of additional testing in a Bern laboratory in Switerland are announced. Slovenian Agriculture Minister Franci But in the meantime formed a crisis task force which should meet twice a week and work on covering the economic damage, caused by the BSE, the implementation of preventive veterinary measures, and informing the public. According to Slovenian media, only Croatia has officially reacted to the mad cow disease scare in Slovenia by temporarily banning the import of beef products. There has been no significant decline in domestic demand. However, owing to "psychological reasons", Croatia's example could be followed by Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro, where suppliers have already cancelled the beef orders. Slovenian media also claim the domestic BSE has been caused more likely by the illegal use of bone flour in the diet than the "genetic" factor, which means BSE has not been "imported". The use of bone-meat flour (the most frequent cause of BSE) for all domestic animals in Slovenia has been banned as of January 2001. (hina) np sb