What is the mad cow disease detected in England

In detail, this fatal disease slowly destroys the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) in cattle. In other words, it is a brain disorder in adult cattle that can be transmitted to humans through the consumption of diseased meat.

As a precaution, in this case, “movement restrictions have been put in place to stop the movement of livestock in the area while investigations continue to identify the origin of the disease,” the agency said in a statement.

To the APHA Chief Veterinarian, Christine middlemiss, it is a “standard procedure”, which shows that “the surveillance system to detect and contain the disease is working”.

For its part, the United Kingdom has five confirmed cases of “mad cow” disease since 2014. All in dead animals that were not destined for the human food chain and therefore presented no risk to citizens, according to the APHA.

As provided for in international commitments, UK authorities have informed the World Organization for Animal Health and UK trading partners, and assured that the country’s ability to export beef will not be affected.

These types of cases have appeared sporadically in the British Isles since the severe crisis of the late 1990s, which killed millions of animals.