Canadian Cow Tests Positive For Atypical BSE

December 23, 2021

An atypical case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has been discovered in the Canadian province of Alberta.

Reuters reported that, “Canada has reported a case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an 8-1/2 year old beef cow in the province of Alberta, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said on Monday.

In a statement by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, “December 17, 2021, the CFIA notified the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) of a case of atypical BSE. The detection and reporting of an atypical BSE case will not affect the OIE negligible risk status of Canada.”

USDA explained that “The atypical BSE forms, L-type and H-type, occur spontaneously at very low levels in all cattle populations, particularly in older cattle, usually eight years of age or older, and does not appear to be associated with contaminated feed. Bioassay data support the hypotheses that these strains are biologically distinct from classical BSE. Like classic or sporadic CJD in humans, it seems to arise rarely and spontaneously.”

The Canadian BSE case is on the heels of two atypical BSE cases in Brazil that the Brazilian Government failed to report to the World Organization of Animal Health for several months. Click here for more on Brazilian BSE.

Source: Reuters, Wester Ag Network, CFIC

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