Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
Review of Scientific Evidence to Inform Australian Policy on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs)
An independent review has been undertaken by Professor John Mathews, an eminent scientist with 40 years experience as a medical researcher. This report provides updates and describes the advances in scientific knowledge in relation to food and the flow on implications to human blood, human blood products and other human therapeutic goods since the last update in 2006.
Correction Note 22 October 2009
The version available for download is the final version of the report submitted to the Department on 9 October by Professor Mathews. Unfortunately an earlier draft of the report, which Professor Mathews had not yet taken through his final quality check, was posted on the Department's website on 20 October.There are two places that have been corrected in Professor Matthews' final report. Footnote 7 on page 7 is corrected to read "........and found to be 40 million times........". Paragraph 3 on page 31 is corrected to read ".........next two generations is perhaps 40 million times......."
The Department apologises for any misunderstanding as a result of this error.
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