Mad cow illness found on UK farm as motion restrictions imposed
A case of atypical BSE, also known as mad cow disease, has been confirmed on a farm in southern Scotland. The single case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) was identified in Dumfries and Galloway, leading to precautionary movement restrictions.
Food Standards Scotland reassured that there is no risk to human health from this “isolated case.”
The authorities have imposed movement restrictions at the affected premises, covering animals that have had contact with the infected cow. An investigation into the origin of the disease is underway, which the Scottish Government described as “standard procedure”, emphasising the “stringent” control measures in place.
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The case was discovered through “routine yet intensive” BSE surveillance, and the animal did not enter the human food chain, according to the Scottish Government. Chief veterinary officer Sheila Voas clarified that the atypical strain of BSE is not transmissible and is “not connected to contaminated feed”.
Atypical BSE occurs “spontaneously” and is not linked to the human variant known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The owners of the animal are cooperating with authorities on next steps, reports the Mirror.
The Animal Plant and Health Agency is investigating the source of the disease, and the animal’s cohorts, including offspring, have been traced and isolated, and will be destroyed.
Scottish agriculture minister Jim Fairlie said: “Following confirmation of a case of atypical BSE in Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Government and other agencies took swift and robust action to protect the agriculture sector. The fact we identified this isolated case so quickly is proof that our surveillance system for detecting this type of disease is working effectively.”
(Image: AFP)
He added a touch of gratitude: “I want to thank the animal’s owner for their diligence. Their decisive action has allowed us to identify and isolate the case at speed, which has minimised its impact on the wider industry.”
Chief Veterinary Officer Sheila Voas confirmed: “The fast detection of this case is proof that our surveillance system is doing its job.”
She continued, asserting their active response: “We are working closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and other partners to identify where the disease came from. I want to reassure both farmers and the public that this is an isolated case and of the atypical strain of BSE which is not transmissible and not connected to contaminated feed. If any farmers are concerned, I would urge them to seek veterinary advice.”
Top food safety boss Ian McWatt chimed in, stating: “There are strict controls in place to protect consumers from the risk of BSE. Consumers can be reassured that important protection measures remain in place and Food Standards Scotland official veterinarians and meat hygiene inspectors working in abattoirs will continue to ensure that the safety of consumers remains a priority.”
“We will continue to work closely with Scottish Government, other agencies and industry at this time.”
Back in the 1990s, the UK saw millions of cattle slaughtered during a BSE crisis. After BSE was linked to the deadly human brain condition vCJD, stringent measures were put in place to safeguard consumers.
This year, a case of classical BSE popped up on an Ayrshire farm in May, while the previous incident in the UK was recorded in Somerset in September 2021. The most recent case of atypical BSE, which presents differently from classical BSE, emerged in Cornwall in March 2023, following an earlier case back in 2015.
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