June 26, 2007

BSE wanes in Ireland
 

Ireland sees a dramatic fall in the number of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) cases in Irish cattle as only nine cases were reported from the start of the year compared to 41 cases in 2006.

In 2005, 69 cases of BSE were recorded, and 126 in 2004. The highest annual total occurred in 2002, when there were 333 confirmed detections of the disease, but this fell to 182 cases in 2003.

Scientists had predicted a fall in the number of infected animals when the sub-set of older cows, which may have been exposed to contaminated cattle feed, moved through the system.

The most recent cases were discovered in older animals, which may have been fed contaminated meat and bonemeal. Meat and bonemeal was banned from cattle feed in the 1980s but was used in pig and poultry feed up to 2000.

The discovery of contamination of cattle feed taking place in mills and compounding plants has led to the segregation of the manufacture of cattle from pig and poultry rations in 2000. The total ban on feeding meat and bonemeal to pigs and poultry in also took place in that year which has led to a decline in the disease and in Britain.