Latest news with #Bovine
Business Mayor
21-05-2025
- Health
- Business Mayor
Mad cow disease confirmed on UK farm as animal shows symptoms of 1990s outbreak that led to culling millions of cattle
A CASE of 'mad cow disease' has been discovered on a farm in Essex, officials say. The cow showed symptoms of the deadly disease – formally known as Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) – that ravaged Britain's cattle herds in the 1990s and led to millions of cows being slaughtered. 3 A cow on a farm in Essex had to be culled after it showed symptoms of BSE Credit: Getty 3 During one memorable PR shoot for British beef in 1990, Agriculture Minister John Selwyn Gummer fed his young daughter a burger to insist they were safe An atypical case of BSE was confirmed when the cow was humanely culled and tested for disease, according to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Experts say there is no risk to public health or food safety as the animal was not destined to enter the food chain. 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.' Unlike the atypical variant, scientists say that classical BSE is spread through contaminated feed. Over 184,000 cows in the UK died from BSE and over 4.4 million cattle were slaughtered to stop the disease from spreading. It also caused cases of the fatal variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans. Major searches carried out in Michael Gaine probe after human remains found Professor Neil Mabbott, Personal Chair in Immunopathology, explained: 'Very occasionally, rare atypical cases of BSE are sporadically detected in cattle, but these are considered non-contagious and are not linked to an infectious origin. 'Four cases of atypical BSE have been detected in the UK in the past ten years. 'This current case was detected through the routine surveillance and testing brain tissues from fallen stock animals.' Mabbott added that measures to prevent the spread of BSE in cattle and animals have so far proven effective as there have been no cases of the human variant vCJD since the 1990s. Dr James Cooper, deputy director of food policy at the Food Standards Agency, said: 'There is no food safety risk. '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 Agency official veterinarians and meat hygiene inspectors working in all abattoirs in England will continue to ensure that the safety of consumers remains the top priority.' It comes as a case of 'mad cow disease' was reported at a farm in Somerset in September 2021. Prior to that, a case of BSE was reported at a farm in Aberdeenshire in October 2018 – the first case of the disease in three years in the UK and the first confirmed in Scotland since 2008. Previously, a dead cow with the disease was discovered in Wales in 2015. What happened during the BSE epidemic? BRITAIN was gripped by BSE in the early 1990s, when the disease infected more than 30,000 cows a year. It was first discovered in 1984 in Sussex. The first cow to be diagnosed, known as cow 133, had an arched back, had lost weight, suffered tremors and lost its coordination. It died within six weeks. Officials discovered that feeding cows 'cannibal' feed, which contained protein from other cows or sheep, was the cause of BSE. This practice was banned in 1989. However, by 1992 and 1993, thousands of cows were infected. In those two years alone, 72,370 cows in the UK were found to have 'mad cow disease'. In August 1996, a British coroner determined that Peter Hall, a 20-year-old vegetarian who died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, contracted the disease from eating beef burgers as a child. This verdict was the first to legally link a human death to 'mad cow disease'. During the crisis, beef exports from Britain were banned by the European Union. The ban was not lifted until 2006. Cows over 30 months old were required to be killed to stop the spread of the disease under the 'Over Thirty Months Scheme'. Over 4.4 million cattle were slaughtered as prevention.
Scottish Sun
20-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Mad cow disease confirmed on UK farm as animal shows symptoms of 1990s outbreak that led to culling millions of cattle
The cow was put down and tested positive for the disease BOVINE SCARE Mad cow disease confirmed on UK farm as animal shows symptoms of 1990s outbreak that led to culling millions of cattle Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A CASE of "mad cow disease" has been discovered on a farm in Essex, officials say. The cow showed symptoms of the deadly disease - formally known as Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) - that ravaged Britain's cattle herds in the 1990s and led to millions of cattle being slaughtered. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 A cow on a farm in Essex had to be culled after it showed symptoms of BSE Credit: Getty 3 During one memorable PR shoot for British beef in 1990, Agriculture Minister John Selwyn Gummer fed his young daughter a burger to insist they were safe An atypical case of BSE was confirmed when the cow was humanely culled and tested for disease, according to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Experts say there is no risk to public health or food safety as the animal was not destined to enter the food chain. 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. Read more health news VAPE ALERT Warning after scientists find vaping to be 'more addictive' than nicotine gum "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." Unlike the atypical variant, scientists say that classical BSE is spread through contaminated feed. Over 184,000 cows in the UK died from BSE and over 4.4 million cattle were slaughtered to stop the disease from spreading. It also caused cases of the fatal variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans. Major searches carried out in Michael Gaine probe after human remains found Professor Neil Mabbott, Personal Chair in Immunopathology, explained: 'Very occasionally, rare atypical cases of BSE are sporadically detected in cattle, but these are considered non-contagious and are not linked to an infectious origin. "Four cases of atypical BSE have been detected in the UK in the past ten years. "This current case was detected through the routine surveillance and testing brain tissues from fallen stock animals." Mabbott added that strict control measures to prevent the spread of BSE in cattle and animals have been effective so far as there have been no cases of the human variant vCJD since the 1990s. Dr James Cooper, deputy director of food policy at the Food Standards Agency. said: "There is no food safety risk. "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 Agency official veterinarians and meat hygiene inspectors working in all abattoirs in England will continue to ensure that the safety of consumers remains the top priority." It comes as a case of 'mad cow disease' was reported on a farm in Somerset in September 2021. Prior to that, a case of BSE was reported at a farm in Aberdeenshire in October 2018 - the first case of the disease in three years in the UK and the first confirmed in Scotland since 2008. Previously, a dead cow with the disease was discovered in Wales in 2015. What happened during the BSE epidemic? BRITAIN was gripped by BSE in the early 1990s, when the disease infected more than 30,000 cows a year. It was first discovered in 1984 in Sussex. And it was deeply dangerous to both cattle and people. The first cow to be diagnosed, known as cow 133, had an arched back, had lost weight, suffered tremors and lost its coordination. It died within six weeks. Officials discovered that feeding cows 'cannibal' feed, which contained protein from other cows or sheep, was the cause of BSE. This practice was banned in 1989. However, by 1992 and 1993, thousands of cows were infected. In those two years alone, 72,370 cows in the UK were found to have 'mad cow disease'. In August 1996, a British coroner determined that Peter Hall, a 20-year-old vegetarian who died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, contracted the illness from eating beef burgers as a child. The verdict was the first to legally link a human death to 'mad cow disease'. During the crisis, beef exports from Britain were banned by the European Union. The ban was not lifted until 2006. Cows over 30 months old were required to be killed under the 'Over Thirty Months Scheme' to stop the spread of the disease. Over 4.4 million cattle were slaughtered as prevention.
Metro
20-05-2025
- Health
- Metro
Mad cow disease confirmed on Essex farm
The cow that had the disease has been humanely killed, the government has confirmed (Picture: Shutterstock) A single case of mad cow disease has been confirmed on a farm in Essex. The government confirmed the cow was humanely put down and there was no risk to public health or food safety as the cow was not destined to enter the food chain. Mad cow disease, also known as Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, 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. 'A typical 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.' Millions of cattle were culled in the UK in the 1990s during a BSE epidemic. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. Arrow MORE: Couple renovating their 1850s home make a chilling discovery Arrow MORE: The depressing reason The Thick of It could never be made today Arrow MORE: Third man arrested over 'arson attacks' on properties linked to Keir Starmer
STV News
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Scot raising funds for new video game after ‘GTA Paisley' viral success
A Renfrewshire man is seeking funds to develop a new video game after going viral on social media with a showcase of his Grand Theft Auto (GTA)-like project based on Paisley. Richard Gellatly has turned to the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter for his latest venture after the response to his last video 'exploded' on social media. Originally posted by his partner on TikTok, it gathered almost 400,000 views on the platform. 'The amount of people showing interest in making this happen made the choice obvious,' explained the 34-year-old graphic designer from Paisley. 'With this idea being quite a varied and dense one, it would take many years to make without funding, and with funding it would take many less.' Bovine Richard wants to make sure his project is as authentic and as detailed as possible. Bovine, Richard's professional pseudonym, is looking to crowdfund £12,000 that would enable him to spend more time working on the game and properly delve into things like developing the game's code, characters and story. The Crystal Garden is to be a mystery game that players progress through via puzzles and character interactions. The latest trailer shows the streets of Paisley shrouded in darkness on a wet night, with the game's description teasing a touch of the supernatural. While the Crystal Garden represents Bovine's maiden video game project, he hopes to rely on his rich experience in graphic design, with work for large music festivals such as TRNSMT and Terminal V on his resume. And although he admits that 'the internet liking your idea poses dangers of inflating one's ego beyond reality', he is trying to stay humble and realistic about his latest project. Bovine The latest trailer shows the streets of Paisley shrouded in darkness on a wet night, with the game's description teasing a touch of the supernatural. He added: 'I'm confident I can make something engaging that'll look good and resonate with people who know the area.' 'The player should feel relaxed and not like they are experiencing a modernity overdose – it'll be quite cosy and allow you to go at whatever pace you like.' Bovine hopes the campaign's success will allow him to make a game enjoyed by many, one that could turn into a 'series of Paisley games'. But he says a potential lack of funding won't stop him either. 'I'll keep working on it, but just at a slower rate, and it will not be the same end product,' he said. 'But I enjoy working on it far too much to just stop, regardless of it being funded or not.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
