A case of BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease, has been identified on a farm in Ayrshire.
The Scottish Government said precautionary travel restrictions had been put in place at the farm and three other sites.
The animal did not enter the human food chain.
Food Standards Scotland said there was no risk to human health.
The Scottish Government said the BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) case was identified through routine surveillance and monitoring measures.
Further investigations aimed at identifying the origin of the disease are underway.
Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie said: “The fact that we identified this isolated case so quickly is proof that our surveillance system for detecting this type of disease is working effectively.
“I would like to thank the pet owner for his diligence.
“Their decisive action allowed us to quickly identify and isolate the case, minimizing its impact on the entire sector.”
There are two types of BSE. Classic and atypical. The classic can be passed down to humans who eat meat. Scientists believe that atypical occurs spontaneously and is not transmitted to humans.
This is the fifth case of classic BSE discovered in the UK in 10 years.
Movement restrictions were also put in place at three other sites: the animal’s farm of origin and two farms where the cows had access to the same feed.
BSE surveillance has played an important role in the UK since the 1986 crisis, when 180,000 cattle were infected and 4.4 million slaughtered in an effort to eradicate the disease.
All cows over four years old that die on a farm are regularly tested for BSE.
The disease is not transmitted directly from animal to animal, but the offspring of an infected animal can be affected and therefore destroyed.
The last case in Scotland was in Aberdeenshire in 2018. There was one case in England in 2021.
The disease infects cows and attacks their central nervous system. It is usually fatal.
Symptoms usually include aggression and a lack of coordination.
Minimal risk
Scotland’s Chief Veterinarian Sheila Voas said all affected farmers should seek advice from a vet.
She added: “The rapid detection of this case is proof that our surveillance system is doing its job.
“We are working closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and other partners to identify the origin of the disease.
“I would like to reassure farmers and the public that the risk associated with this isolated case is minimal.”
Ian McWatt, deputy chief executive of Food Standards Scotland, said strict controls were in place to protect consumers from the risk of BSE, including controls on animal feed and the removal of parts of livestock most likely to be carriers of the disease.
He said: “We will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government, other agencies and industry at this stage. »
BSE are three letters that will make any farmer shudder.
The industry was devastated by the disease when it was first discovered in the late 1980s and early 1990s, leading to the slaughter of 4.4 million animals and an industry on its knees.
But we now have considerable knowledge about BSE and measures are in place to detect cases, as well as restrictions to stop its spread and prevent animals from entering the food chain.
It has been largely eradicated with only five cases in the UK in the last decade. This appears to be an isolated detection in a beef cow; the same was true for the latest case on a farm in Lumsden, Aberdeenshire.
I understand that the Ayrshire farmer acted correctly and quickly.
But epidemiological studies will take place in the coming weeks to understand where it originated.
News Source : www.bbc.com
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