Mad cow disease discovered on UK farm

Mad cow disease has been discovered on a UK farm. The condition was found in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, and movement controls are have been implemented in relation to the affected offspring of the animal and its “cohort”. Scottish agriculture minister Jim Fairlie said: “Following confirmation of a case of classical BSE in Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Government and other agencies acted swiftly and decisively to protect the agriculture sector.

“The fact we identified this isolated case so quickly is clear proof that our surveillance system for detecting this type of disease is working effectively. I want to thank the animal’s owner for their diligence. Their swift action allowed us to identify and isolate the case immediately, minimising its impact on the wider industry.”

The cow did not enter the food chain and there is no risk to human health, according to Food Standards Scotland, The Independent reports.

The UK carries out “active disease surveillance” for BSE in cattle, with the testing programme including cattle over 48 months of age which:

• die or are killed other than for human consumption (fallen cattle)
• are emergency slaughtered or show certain abnormalities at ante-mortem inspection

The Government adds: “These age thresholds apply to cattle born in the United Kingdom or in other EU member states except Bulgaria and Romania.

“For cattle born elsewhere the age thresholds are 24 months for fallen cattle or emergency slaughtered cattle, and 30 months for healthy fallen cattle.

“Passive disease surveillance takes place when an animal with clinical signs suspicious of a TSE disease is reported to Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), and further investigation determines whether the animal was affected by BSE or scrapie.”