UK: ‘Mad cow’ disease found at Welsh farm

LONDON

Wales has confirmed a case of so-called ‘mad cow' disease on a farm, the first such incident in two years.

The territory’s devolved government said in a statement on Thursday that the single case of BSE was discovered in a deceased animal, but that there was no risk to human health.

According to Sky News, the statement said: “The Welsh Government and the Animal and Plant Health Agency have confirmed a case of classical BSE in a single diseased bovine on a farm in Wales.

“The case was identified as a result of the strict control measures that we have in place. It did not enter the human food chain and the Food Standards Agency and Public Health Wales have confirmed there is no risk to human health as a result of this isolated case.

“Beef across the U.K. continues to be produced in compliance with the World Organisation for Animal Health rules.”

There have been some “sporadic cases” of BSE across the U.K. in recent years and the most recent case in Wales was in 2013, the Welsh Government added.

BSE, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is a degenerative disease that affects the brain and spinal cord of cattle. It became known as ‘mad cow' disease after it emerged it was contagious to humans.

The disease caused one of the greatest public health crises in British history, where authorities slaughtered more than four million cattle during an eradication program in the 1990s.