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A case of mad cow disease has been reported on a farm in Scotland.
Authorities quickly alleviated fears over the outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), better known as mad cow disease, after movement restrictions were imposed on animals in an unidentified farm in Aberdeenshire, preventing their movement. at other farms.
"It's important to point out that it's a standard procedure until we understand the origin of the disease, this is a proof additional that our surveillance system to detect this type of disease works, "Fergus Ewing, secretary of the Scottish Government's rural economy. , said in a statement sent to ABC News.
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Officials also pointed out that consumers should not be worried about the case because the disease did not enter the human food chain.
Scotland's Chief Veterinary Officer, Sheila Voas, said "it was too early to say where the disease came from," but urged all concerned farmers to come forward immediately for advice.
The disease was discovered during a routine check on the Aberdeenshire farm in northeastern Scotland. As a general rule, all cows over four years of age who die are tested for BSE. If the test is positive, all the offspring of the animal are isolated and then destroyed to comply with the requirements of the European Union (EU).
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Strict controls are in place to protect consumers from the risk of BSE, including controls on feed and the removal of parts of cattle that may be infected with BSE.
An investigation was initiated by the Animal Health Agency.
In the 1990s, a massive BSE outbreak had resulted in a ban on British beef imports by the European Union for ten years. It had started in 1996. The industry was worth more than $ 653 million a year before the ban, lifted in 2006, according to the BBC.
Mad cow disease peaked in the United Kingdom in 1992-2003, when more than 100,000 confirmed cases of mad cow disease were reported, causing widespread panic, according to The Guardian.
National Health Service guidelines indicate that mad cow disease is likely to cause variant CJD, a rare and deadly disease that affects the brain, when infected meat is eaten by humans.
Dr. Jude Capper, an animal scientist and livestock expert in the UK, told ABC News that the government had learned from the situation thirty years ago.
"The BSE epidemic at the end of [1980s] The UK has had a devastating impact on the cattle industry, but has provided extremely valuable information on how to deal with future disease problems, "she said. "Veterinary services and the British cattle industry have put in place many other mechanisms to identify, contain and control diseases."
Too bad that only one (rare) #BSE the case is confirmed, but it is positive that modern disease surveillance systems allow for rapid detection and control and that food safety is not affected. Some valuable lessons were learned 30 years ago! #livestock https://t.co/Gfq7kzrXrA
– Dr. Jude Capper ?????? (@Bovidiva) October 18, 2018
"Strict controls are in place to protect consumers from BSE risk, including controls on feed and the removal of parts of cattle that may be infected with BSE," he said. said Ian McWatt, director of operations at Food Standards Scotland. "Consumers can be reassured that these important safeguards are still in place."
In the United States, the last confirmed case of mad cow disease was reported in Florida in August, according to Reuters.
According to the BBC, this is the first case of BSE on British soil since 2015.
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