Sweden Confirms First Case of BSE

BRUSSELS - Mar 3/06 - SNS -- Sweden reported its first case of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) following tests carried out by the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) in Weybridge (UK) on samples from a Swedish cow.

The infected animal was a 12-year old cow, which was culled for destruction due to a history of milking fever. In line with EU legislation requiring all fallen stock (i.e. animals that died or were culled due to disease) to be checked for BSE, the cow was tested in the rendering plant.

When this first test showed up positive for BSE, the Swedish authorities referred the case to the CRL for further examination, which confirmed the finding today. As a result of this BSE case, the Commission will now reconsider the grounds for the special derogation for Sweden from the requirement to test all bovine animals intended for human consumption, laid down in the TSE Regulation, which applies in all other Member States.

As the only Member State with Geographical BSE-Risk level 2 (i.e. considered to be at low risk of BSE), Sweden had special dispensation from the EU rule requiring every bovine animal slaughtered for the food chain to be tested.

Instead, around 10,000 healthy slaughtered bovine animals have been randomly tested every year in Sweden up to this point. For fallen stock and suspicious deaths, there was no derogation and Sweden has always applied the same testing rules as other Member States (i.e. 100% testing).

Investigation into the possible source of contamination of the infected cow is ongoing. All the offspring and cohort of the infected cow are being traced and culled, and no meat or products from animals linked to the cow will enter the food or feed chain.

Sweden applies all of the mandatory EU animal health measures against BSE, including the removal of specified risk material from all animals entering the food chain, which are designed to ensure maximum protection of public health.