UK- Case of classical Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) confirmed on a farm in Ayrshire, Scotland

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Ayrshire
/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayrshire
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Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE): how to spot and report the disease

Last updated 10 May 2024 - see all updates
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Latest situation: On 9 May 2024 a case of classical BSE was confirmed on a farm in Ayrshire. The case was detected during routine surveillance of fallen stock cattle. The animal was not presented for slaughter and did not enter the food chain.
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Q&A – Classical BSE case in Ayrshire in May 2024

What has happened today?

A single case of classical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Ayrshire . The animal died on farm and was tested as part of our surveillance programme. There is no risk to human health or food safety. The animal was a breeding animal not intended to enter the food chain. British beef is safe and can be traded as before.

Classical BSE is not contagious, so it does not spread directly between animals. It occurs mainly through the consumption of feed contaminated with the BSE agent. The strict feed controls introduced in 1988 and strengthened in 1996 has meant that the incidence of BSE cases in the UK has been greatly reduced, with only 5 cases of classical BSE confirmed since 2014 (including this one). All of these detections have been in animals which were not destined for the human food chain and therefore posed no risk to the public. Occasional cases are to be expected and this is in line with projections for the tail end of the 1992 epidemic.

The last case of classical BSE in the UK was detected by routine surveillance in England in September 2021.
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https://www.gov.scot/publications/bse/pages/qa-on-case-in-ayrshire-may-2024/

 

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United Kingdom - Bovine spongiform encephalopathy - Immediate notification

GENERAL INFORMATION
COUNTRY/TERRITORY OR ZONE
ZONE

ANIMAL TYPE
TERRESTRIAL

DISEASE CATEGORY
Listed disease

EVENT ID
5667

DISEASE
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy

CAUSAL AGENT
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy prion, classical strain, C-type

GENOTYPE / SEROTYPE / SUBTYPE
-

START DATE
2024/04/26

REASON FOR NOTIFICATION
Recurrence of an eradicated disease

DATE OF LAST OCCURRENCE
2018/10/18

CONFIRMATION DATE
2024/05/09

EVENT STATUS
On-going

END DATE
-

SELF-DECLARATION
NO

REPORT INFORMATION
REPORT NUMBER
Immediate notification

REPORT ID
IN_167303

REPORT REFERENCE
RBSE24/00003

REPORT DATE
2024/05/10

REPORT STATUS
Validated

NO EVOLUTION REPORT
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EPIDEMIOLOGY
SOURCE OF EVENT OR ORIGIN OF INFECTION
Unknown or inconclusive

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL COMMENTS
Isolated, single case of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has been confirmed in a 7½- year- old indigenous cow on a beef suckler farm. The cow close to calving, had lost condition over the last two weeks and became recumbent and aggressive prior to being found dead. It was eating and drinking during the sick period. The case was disclosed during routine national statutory surveillance and testing of fallen stock cattle aged over 48 months. The animal was not presented for slaughter and did not enter the food chain. There is no threat to food safety or human health. A full epidemiological investigation is being carried out to identify relevant risk pathways for infection and any evidence to support these. All of the cohorts and offspring of this single BSE case have been identified and placed under movement restrictions. They will be culled and screened for BSE. The detection of this single case does not change the ‘controlled risk’ status for the zone of England and Wales, the ‘controlled risk’ status for the zone of Scotland and the 'negligible risk' status for the zone of Northern Ireland. The precise location of the farm has not been entered on the report to protect the farmer's identity and well-being.

QUANTITATIVE DATA SUMMARY
MEASURING UNIT
Animal

SpeciesSusceptibleCasesDeathsKilled and Disposed ofSlaughtered/ Killed for commercial useVaccinated
Bovine (DOMESTIC)
NEW 206 1 1 0 0 0
TOTAL 206 1 1 0 0 0
DIAGNOSTIC DETAILS
CLINICAL SIGNS
YES
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NEW OUTBREAKS

OB_134534 - RBSE24/00003 - AYRSHIRE

OUTBREAK REFERENCE
RBSE24/00003

START DATE
2024/04/26

END DATE
-

DETAILED CHARACTERISATION
-

FIRST ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
Scotland

SECOND ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
South Ayrshire

THIRD ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
South Ayrshire

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL UNIT
Farm

LOCATION
Ayrshire

Latitude, Longitude
55.46 , -4.62

(Approximate location)
OUTBREAKS IN CLUSTER
-

MEASURING UNIT
Animal

AFFECTED POPULATION DESCRIPTION
Isolated case of classical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been confirmed in a 7½-year-old indigenous cow in a beef suckler herd with 206 animals.

SpeciesSusceptibleCasesDeathsKilled and Disposed ofSlaughtered/ Killed for commercial useVaccinated
Bovine (DOMESTIC)
NEW 206 1 1 0 0 0
TOTAL 206 1 1 0 0 0
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https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/5667​