An isolated case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, has been discovered on a farm in Ayrshire, Scotland. The animal did not enter the human food chain and food safety officials stated that there was no human risk from the incident. Precautionary movement restrictions have been put in place at the farm in question and at three other affected sites. This development comes after the last case of BSE in Scotland was identified in Aberdeenshire in 2018.
Routine surveillance measures assisted the detection of the BSE case by Scottish officials, who also added that further investigations into the origin of the disease were ongoing. An infected cow’s offspring can be affected by BSE, however the disease is not directly transmitted from animal to animal. All cows over the age of four that die on a farm are tested for BSE in the UK. Movement restrictions have also been put in place at the farm of the animal’s origin and at two other farms where cows had access to the same feed.
Scotland’s chief veterinary officer Sheila Voas stated that the risk associated with the isolated case was minimal, and that concerned farmers should seek veterinary advice. Ian McWatt, deputy chief executive of Food Standards Scotland (FSS), added that there were controls in place to protect consumers, such as strict controls on animal feed and the removal of the parts of cattle most likely to carry the disease. The FSS and other relevant agencies will work closely with the Scottish government and the industry to address the incident.
BSE was first discovered in the late 1980s and early 90s, resulting in widespread damage to the British farming industry. In order to eliminate the disease, 4.4 million animals were slaughtered. However, BSE has largely been eradicated in the UK, with just five cases identified over the last ten years. While the news of a new BSE case will undoubtedly alarm farmers, it is vital that the existing systems in place to detect and to prevent the disease being spread or animals entering the food chain are maintained
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