Scotland reports case of mad cow disease
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[May 10, 2024]
LONDON (Reuters) -The Scottish government on Friday confirmed a
case of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), known as mad
cow disease, at a farm in the southwest of the country, the first
British case of the disease in over two years.
The government has imposed precautionary movement restrictions at
impacted premises and on animals that have been in contact with the case
in Ayrshire, it said in a statement.
Further investigations to identify the origin of the disease at the farm
are ongoing, the Scottish government statement said, adding there was no
risk to human health.
"I want to reassure both farmers and the public that the risk associated
with this isolated case is minimal. But, if any farmers are concerned, I
would urge them to seek veterinary advice," Chief Veterinary Officer
Sheila Voas said.
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![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/May/10/images/ads/current/rainbowseamless_lda_SHG_2024.png) BSE was first detected in Britain in
the late 1980s, spreading from there to other parts of Europe and
ravaging cattle herds until the early 2000s. It has been linked to
the brain-wasting Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.
BSE incidence has markedly decreased over recent
years and is now estimated to be close to zero cases per year
worldwide, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
The previous confirmed classical BSE case in Britain was in 2021,
and an atypical case of the disease was reported last year.
Classical BSE occurs through the consumption of contaminated feed,
while atypical BSE refers to naturally and sporadically occurring
forms.
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