Brazil Keeps BSE Status After Prion Protein Scare

BRAZIL - Brazil's 'negligible' Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) status has been retained after Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency tests confirmed a 2010 cell sample was free of BSE.
calendar icon 11 December 2012
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The Secretariat of Agricultural Protection (SDA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) have confirmed a cell sample found to contain Prion Proteins, the cells responsible for the development of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), had not progressed into BSE and that the cow died of age related illnesses.

This comes after results from the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge England, concluded that the sample contained non classical BSE ruling out concerns over whether the the cow, which died in 2010, was killed by ‘BSE’.

The animal, which died at 13 years of age, in the Southern State of Parana was reported by the OIE (World organisation for animal health) as having ‘limb stiffness’ which raised suspicions of BSE in the ‘exclusively’ pasture reared animal causing it to be sent for a post mortem examination under national guidelines

"The case, detected two years ago, is an old and isolated occurrence, which brings no risk to public and animal health in the country," said Ernie Marques, Secretary of the Agriculture Defence Ministry.

"This demonstrates the transparency and strength of the surveillance system implemented in Brazil, no country in the world which is susceptible from having a case like this one to identify hence why OIE classify countries as free of BSE, an example of which is possible for other diseases like foot and mouth and African horse sickness etc."

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