Suspected BSE case ‘random’

The Irish Farming Association has dismissed a suspected BSE case as a “random” occurrence.

Reacting to the announcement by the Department of Agriculture that Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) may have been identified in a County Louth cow, IFA president Eddie Downey said it was an “isolated case”.

Mr Downey added that the suspected find also showed the “effectiveness of the monitoring and control systems” in place in Ireland.

“A random case is not unusual in the context of the robust control systems we have in place for all diseases,” he said.

“The case involved a five-year old cow sent to a knackery for disposal from a Louth dairy farm and the Department of Agriculture is awaiting tests to confirm the situation, which will take up to a week.”

This animal was identified as part of on-going monitoring for BSE of animals collected from farms by knackeries for rendering.

If confirmed, it will be the first BSE case found in Ireland since 2013.

A BSE outbreak in the UK and Ireland in the 1990s led to a ban on beef exports and the slaughter of over four million animals.

Mr Downey said the traceability and monitoring controls adopted by farmers and the sector are the most stringent and robust anywhere and ensure the health status and quality of Irish produce.