Brussels, 24/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - Following the premature death of a five-year-old cow in a farm in the Ardennes, France, suspicions were confirmed by the EU reference laboratory on Wednesday 23 March that the animal had contracted bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the French Agriculture Ministry said in a press release on Thursday 24 March.
This is the first case of BSE detected in France since 2011. In May of 2015, France regained its status as a country at negligible risk of BSE, awarded by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). This allowed French beef exports to be resumed to a number of markets, such as Singapore, Vietnam, South Africa, Canada and Saudi Arabia. Following the confirmed case in the Ardennes, France will drop into the category of controlled-risk country.
“The European Commission and the World Organisation for Animal Health have today been notified of this lone case”, starts the French ministry.
“The Commission has been informed that French authorities, in accordance with the EU harmonised rules, will carry out an epidemiological enquiry and implement relevant eradication measures”, the Commission has said.
In line with European rules, the first consequence of this lone case of BSE will be in the treatment of certain animal parts which are not for consumption (specific high-risk materials). The detection of this case will have no effect whatsoever for consumers, according to the French authorities. “Detection of this lone case proves the effectiveness of the monitoring system put in place by France along the whole length of the food chain”, the ministry says.
French Agriculture Minister Stéphane Le Foll will ask the European Commission to refer the case to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which will work with Anses, the French agency for food, environmental and occupational safety, “to better understand the origin and cause of lone cases in young cattle”. Le Foll makes clear that eating meat presents no risk to humans.
Third case of BSE in Europe since 2015. This is the third lone case of BSE in Europe since 2015. One case was detected in Ireland and another in the United Kingdom in 2015. The four most recent cases of BSE are: one in Ireland detected in an animal born in 2010 and three cases in the United Kingdom detected in 2012, 2013 and 2015 in animals born in 2006, 2007 and 2009 respectively. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)