News & Reports BSE
Case of BSE reported in Norway NORWAY has reported its first case of BSE, affecting a 15-year-old cow that had been born in the country. The case was confirmed as atypical BSE type H by testing at the APHA’s laboratory at Weybridge, which is the World Organisation for Animal Health’s (OIE’s) reference laboratory for BSE. Reporting the case to the OIE on January 29, Kristina Landsverk, Norway’s chief veterinary officer, explained that the animal came from a beef cattle farm with a herd of Scottish Highland cattle in the county of Nord Trondelag. The animal had been killed on January 12 because of old age
and injury, and had not shown clinical signs of neurological disease. It had been tested for BSE as part of a surveillance programme, and, on the basis of an initial test performed on central nervous system material, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute had reported a suspicion of BSE on January 20. Material was then sent to the APHA laboratory at Weybridge for further testing, and disease was confirmed on January 28. Dr Landsverk reported that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) had placed movement restrictions on the affected farm and had undertaken
epidemiological investigations. It had identified four at-risk animals, which had also been placed under official movement restrictions. All four would be killed and disposed of by incineration, Dr Landsverk said. The carcase of the affected cow had been processed by pressure sterilisation in a category 1 processing plant and the resulting material was sent for incineration in accordance with by-products legislation. The investigations had found that the affected cow’s dam had been imported from Sweden. doi: 10.1136/vr.h734
February 14, 2015 | Veterinary Record | 163
Case of BSE reported in Norway NORWAY has reported its first case of BSE, affecting a 15-year-old cow that had been born in the country. The case was confirmed as atypical BSE type H by testing at the APHA’s laboratory at Weybridge, which is the World Organisation for Animal Health’s (OIE’s) reference laboratory for BSE. Reporting the case to the OIE on January 29, Kristina Landsverk, Norway’s chief veterinary officer, explained that the animal came from a beef cattle farm with a herd of Scottish Highland cattle in the county of Nord Trondelag. The animal had been killed on January 12 because of old age
and injury, and had not shown clinical signs of neurological disease. It had been tested for BSE as part of a surveillance programme, and, on the basis of an initial test performed on central nervous system material, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute had reported a suspicion of BSE on January 20. Material was then sent to the APHA laboratory at Weybridge for further testing, and disease was confirmed on January 28. Dr Landsverk reported that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) had placed movement restrictions on the affected farm and had undertaken
epidemiological investigations. It had identified four at-risk animals, which had also been placed under official movement restrictions. All four would be killed and disposed of by incineration, Dr Landsverk said. The carcase of the affected cow had been processed by pressure sterilisation in a category 1 processing plant and the resulting material was sent for incineration in accordance with by-products legislation. The investigations had found that the affected cow’s dam had been imported from Sweden. doi: 10.1136/vr.h734
February 14, 2015 | Veterinary Record | 163
