A CASE of mad cow disease has been detected in Scotland.
The Scottish Government confirmed on Wednesday that a “case of classical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)” had been found in a cow on a farm in Dumfries and Galloway.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the UK saw a sustained outbreak of mad cow disease which ultimately killed more than 170 people, and led to some four million cattle being put down.
The Scottish Government has said that the incident in Dumfries and Galloway is an “isolated case” and there is no risk to humans.
While the disease is not directly transmitted from animal to animal, the infected cow’s cohorts, including offspring, have been traced and isolated, and will be destroyed in line with legal requirements.
An announcement said: “Precautionary movement restrictions have been put in place on the offspring of the animal and its ‘cohort’ at the impacted premises.
“Further investigations to identify the origin of the disease are ongoing. This is standard procedure for a confirmed case of classical BSE.
“The case was identified as a result of our routine though intensive BSE surveillance and stringent control measures that are in place. The animal did not enter the human food chain and Food Standards Scotland have confirmed there is no risk to human health as a result of this isolated case.
“The owners of the affected animals are working with authorities on next steps.”
Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie said: "Following confirmation of a case of classical BSE in Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Government and other agencies acted swiftly and decisively to protect the agriculture sector.
"The fact we identified this isolated case so quickly is clear proof that our surveillance system for detecting this type of disease is working effectively.
"I want to thank the animal's owner for their diligence. Their swift action allowed us to identify and isolate the case immediately, minimising its impact on the wider industry."
The Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) is investigating the source of the disease, it is understood.
All animals over four years of age that die on farm are routinely tested for BSE under Scotland’s surveillance system.
The news of the BSE case comes just two days after the first-ever incident of bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) was found in a cow in Scotland.
That in turn came after cases were confirmed in a lamb and three sheep on farms in the Creetown area.
