BSE case in cow identified on Welsh farm

A case of BSE or 'mad cow disease' has been identified on a farm in Wales, the Welsh government said.

The case of BSE was found in a dead cow as a result of strict control measures, which see all animals over four years old that die on a farm routinely tested for the disease, Rebecca Evans, Welsh government deputy minister for farming and food, said.

The animal did not enter the food chain and the Food Standards Agency and Public Health Wales said there was no risk to human health as a result of the isolated case.

It is the latest in a small number of cases of BSE identified across the UK in recent years, with the last case recorded in Wales in 2013.

Ms Evans said: “Identification of this case demonstrates that the controls we have in place are working well.

“Beef across the UK continues to be produced in compliance with the World Organisation for Animal Health rules.”

Officials were working to investigate the circumstances of the case, she added.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a disease that affects adult cattle. BSE attacks the brain and central nervous system of the animal and eventually causes death. Commonly known as ‘Mad-Cow Disease’, BSE has a long incubation period. This means that it usually takes four to six years for cattle infected with BSE to show signs of the disease, such as disorientation, clumsiness and, occasionally, aggressive behaviour towards other animals and humans.

PA