New guidance on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) issued to cattle farmers
UK - New guidance for UK cattle farmers on how to recognise the clinical signs of BSE in cattle is being issued to 90,000 livestock farmers this week in a revised Defra booklet, which is now available online.
6 November 2006
1 minute read
The booklet, first produced in 2000 and now in its third edition, includes the following key messages for cattle farmers:
- Be aware of the clinical signs of BSE and report suspect cases to the Divisional Veterinary Manager immediately.
- Do not send cattle born or reared in the UK before 1 August 1996, for slaughter for human consumption. Since the Over Thirty Month rule was replaced in November 2005, more than 180 cattle born before August 1996 have been illegally sent for human consumption although none have entered the food chain.
- Clean out feed stores thoroughly on a regular basis to remove any potentially contaminated feed.
- Notify all fallen stock aged over 24 months for BSE testing to the TSE Surveillance Helpline 0800 525 890 without delay.
Defra aims to eradicate BSE from the UK herd by the end of 2010 and requires the continued assistance of cattle farmers to achieve this goal.
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