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Beef Measles explained

An outbreak of C. bovis (beef measles) on a North Island farm has highlighted the need for more information on this rare condition.

C. bovis, which causes the human tapeworm infection known as Taeniasis, is rare in New Zealand but not unheard of. Cases of Taeniasis are exclusively linked to travel to countries where the infection is endemic - Africa, South America and South East Asia.

The life cycle of the tapeworm, which can grow up to 25 metres long, is complicated. There are many different types of tapeworm with different life cycles affecting most mammals but three types in particular affect humans beings - T. saginata, T solium and T. asiatica. T saginata is the tapeworm infection that was found on the North Island farm.

T saginata uses cattle as its host and the tapeworm is passed to humans who eat infected beef that is undercooked. The tapeworm can't be passed from person to person or spread between cattle. The tapeworm produces eggs which are passed through the faeces of humans.

Cattle become infected by eating grass or drinking water that is contaminated with these eggs in human faeces. The symptoms of infection are generally mild and readily treatable. In cattle, the infection shows up as measle-type cysts in beef muscle.

Overseas, the practice of irrigating pasture with human sewage is often the cause of infection. New Zealand has controls in place over the use of biosolids.

The Animal Products Act requires inspection of all beef for any sign of disease after slaughter. That includes inspecting meat for beef measle cysts. If any cysts are found the meat is trimmed to remove them and condemned as unfit for human consumption.

It's unusual for cysts to be discovered during meat inspection in New Zealand. If, however, it is found that a number of animals from one farm are infected, an investigation is initiated.

An infected farm may have controls placed on the movement of its animals from the farm and may also be subject to intensified inspection. Meat from a farm suspected of being infected is frozen as an added protection. Freezing and cooked contaminated meat kills the cyst.

NZFSA has been praised for its surveillance and investigation systems since the outbreak of C. bovis was discovered on the North Island farm. The incident has highlighted the effectiveness of NZFSA's systems.