Germany's Agriculture Ministry reported the country's first cases of BSE in German-born cows yesterday as Chancellor Gerhard Schroder called for an EU-wide ban on meat and bone meal. Three cattle were found to have the infection.
Germany had until now said it was BSE free, with its six recorded cases occurring in foreign-born cattle.
Two of the three BSE cases were discovered in cows still in Germany, one in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein and one in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Both animals have been destroyed and all cattle on the two farms have been quarantined until further notice.
The third animal was exported to the Portuguese islands of Azores two years ago.
Authorities there said the cow was slaughtered last month and the carcass destroyed after showing signs of BSE.
An autopsy, including an examination of brain tissue, confirmed the presence of BSE.
The decade-old BSE scare has finally come to Germany and newspapers are now asking the question that has haunted the rest of Europe: "How safe is our beef?"
Germany's Health Minister, Ms Andrea Fischer, warned yesterday that "mad cow" disease posed a real danger to the health of Germans.
"We plan to use all means available as soon as possible to begin testing as many animals as possible," she said.
Germany will institute a ban on meat and bone meal on Monday and is calling on the rest of Europe to follow suit.
"I am in favour of banning these feeds in the whole EU," Mr Schroder said yesterday.
