Breaking: Case of ‘Atypical BSE’ identified in cow in Ireland.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed that it has identified a case of ‘Atypical BSE’ in an 18-year-old cow, through its surveillance of ‘fallen’ animals (died on farm) at knackeries. The animal tested positive on a screening test carried out at a Department approved, accredited private laboratory over the weekend and was then subject to follow up confirmatory tests at the Department’s Central Veterinary Research Laboratory. There are no associated public health risks with this event – a comprehensive set of public health controls are in place and the animal in this case was excluded from the food chain and its carcase will be incinerated, the Department said. There are two types of BSE recognised: 1) Classical BSE Classical BSE, the basis of the extensive incidence of BSE which commenced some in the 1980s, which was associated with the feeding of meat-and-bone meal, where scientific evidence indicates that BSE is acquired in the first year of life. 2) Atypical BSE; which has is the case that has been identified, has been identified more recently and which is thought to occur spontaneously.Atypical BSE occurs sporadically in older animals with a low incidence rate. It was first recognized in the early 2000s in Europe following the large scale testing of livestock for BSE that was put in place at that time.Atypical cases of BSE have also been identified in Brazil (two cases) and the USA (three cases). BSE does not transfer horizontally from animal to animal – no risk to other animals arises from this case animal. source