Case of mad cow disease confirmed on Scottish farm

  • Video report by ITV News Scotland Correspondent Peter Smith

A case of mad cow disease has been detected on a farm in Aberdeenshire.

Restrictions have been placed on the site while investigations to identify the origin of the disease take place.

The Scottish Government says Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) - commonly known as mad cow disease - does not represent a risk to human health.

BSE is a fatal brain disease that affects cattle. It was first identified in Britain in 1986.

Farmers in Scotland are being urged to seek veterinary advice should they have any concerns.

Shelia Voas, the Scottish Government's Chief Vet, told ITV News that she was "disappointed but not desperately surprised" by the discovery, but that her message was one of reassurance.

"We would have liked not to have any more cases of BSE but this is not anywhere like the epidemic that we had previously over 20 years ago.

"It's something that we found by surveillance, it's a good news story because it means that our controls are working," she added.

"We've tested something like 20,000 animals a year for the last five years and we've found one, which shows the level that we would expect."

Andrew McCormick, president of the National Farmers' Union, Scotland said Scottish farmers may be "disappointed" but the situation was "not unexpected".

He said: "(Their feelings) will be the same as mine, they'll be disappointed, maybe they'll be a bit of shock, but not necessarily, because these sporadic cases do happen. We knew when we got the Negligible Risk status that there was a possibility that this would happen.

"We're going to go back to where we were 18 months ago".

Ian McWatt, Director of Operations in Food Standards Scotland added: "There are strict controls in place to protect consumers from the risk of BSE, including controls on animal feed, and removal of the parts of cattle most likely to carry BSE infectivity.

“Consumers can be reassured that these important protection measures remain in place and that Food Standards Scotland Official Veterinarians and Meat Hygiene Inspectors working in all abattoirs in Scotland will continue to ensure that in respect of BSE controls, the safety of consumers remains a priority. We will continue to work closely with Scottish Government, other agencies and industry at this time."

Quality Meat Scotland, the body responsible for promoting the red meat sector, said it did not anticipate any serious impact on the export market.

Chair Kate Rowell said: "The reality is that sporadic cases, such as the one confirmed this week, do occur and have also been reported in other countries."

BSE is a fatal brain disease that affects cattle. Credit: PA

What is BSE?

BSE stands for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy – a disease which infects cows, attacks their central nervous system and is generally fatal.

Symptoms typically include a lack of co-ordination and aggression, leading it to be known as mad cow disease.

Can it be passed to humans?

Scientists believe the disease can be passed to humans through the food chain, causing a fatal condition called new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD).

When was the last case in Scotland?

This case the Scottish Government has confirmed on an Aberdeenshire farm is the first in Scotland for more than a decade.

When was the last UK outbreak?

A widespread BSE outbreak which began in the UK in the late 1980s reached its peak in 1992/1993 with 100,000 confirmed cases. However there were two more recent cases in 2015.

Is food affected?

In the latest case, no. A ban on the use of high risk offal for human consumption was introduced in 1989, leading many to fear eating burgers. But the following year, then Agriculture Minister John Gummer claimed beef is “completely safe” and appeared on TV trying to get his four-year-old daughter to eat a beefburger.

How to spot BSE

Cattle with BSE may slowly develop some of the following signs over a period of weeks or months:

  • change in behaviour

  • apprehension or nervousness (flighty)

  • repeated, exaggerated reactions to touch or sound

  • weakness or high stepping of the legs, particularly the hind legs

  • reluctance to cross concrete or drains, turn corners or enter yards

  • aggression towards humans or towards other cattle

  • manic kicking during milking or reluctance to allow milking

  • head held low

  • difficulty in rising, progressing to recumbency

  • tremors under the skin

  • loss of body condition, weight or milk yield

  • excessive nose licking