BSE Case Confirmed at Scottish Farm, Authorities Impose Restrictions

A cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as “mad cow disease,” has been identified at a farm in Scotland’s Dumfries and Galloway region.

Following confirmation of the case, Scottish authorities restricted the movement of the infected animal and other cattle kept on the same farm.

BSE affects the nervous system and has no treatment. Symptoms may include changes in behavior, nervousness and aggression.

Food Standards Scotland said there was no immediate risk to consumers because the infected animal had not entered the food chain. The case is therefore not considered a wider threat to public health.

Eating meat from an infected animal can cause a fatal disease in humans known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

The latest case has brought renewed attention to the severe BSE crisis that affected Britain during the 1980s and 1990s.

Figures reported by Sky News show that more than 184,000 British cattle died from the disease between 1986 and 2015. During the same period, more than 4 million cattle were slaughtered to prevent its spread.

The number of cases peaked in 1993, when approximately 1,000 new cases were being recorded in Britain each week.

The outbreak was linked to feed used for cattle and triggered a major crisis in the meat industry, leading to the implementation of extensive control measures.

Meanwhile, Scottish authorities are continuing to investigate the latest case and are monitoring animals that may have come into contact with the infected cow.