Cow 'humanely culled' after case of BSE found on farm
Cow 'humanely culled' after case of BSE found on farm
The chief veterinary officer has made a statement
The cow was tested
(Image: Chris Radburn/PA )
A single case of atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Essex, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) said.
The UK government said the animal had been humanely culled and there was no risk to public health or food safety as the cow was not destined to enter the food chain.
Atypical BSE is a non-contagious disease in cows which is different from 'classical' BSE, which is linked to contaminated feed.
Chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: 'A single case of atypical BSE has been confirmed on a farm in Essex. The animal died on farm and was tested as part of our strict routine controls and surveillance regime.
'Atypical BSE is distinct from classical BSE and is a spontaneously and sporadically occurring, non-contagious disease which is believed to occur at a very low level in all cattle populations. This is proof that our surveillance system for detecting and containing this type of disease is working.'
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Millions of cattle were culled in the UK in the 1990s during a BSE epidemic.
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