Officials said the moves were purely precautions against mad cow, which has been linked to a variant strand of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which affects humans. Yet alarm seemed to be spreading, and the European Union's health and consumer protection commissioner, David Byrne, urged EU member nations to go beyond a recent requirement that they randomly test their herds by January. The requirement was put in place after the number of cases of mad cow, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, tripled in France to 90 this year, compared to 31 last year.
French authorities say the increase is due to the implementation of special detection tests.
Two people are known to have died in France from the human form of mad cow, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease compared to 81 people in Britain. Byrne's statement urging more random testing came just two days after he spoke in reassuring tones, saying the number of infected cows was low approximately seven cases per million cattle. Geneva's proximity to France which surrounds the city on three sides played a part in the decision, he said. The ban affects all beef not just French imports. In response to public concerns, Italian Agriculture Minister Alfonso Pecoro Scanio asked the EU's veterinary committee to hold an urgent meeting.