Atypical BSE case in a cow in Switzerland

Veterinary authorities have discovered the atypical form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, in a cow in the canton of Graubünden. Unlike the classic form of the disease, atypical BSE can appear spontaneously and unrelated to the use of animal meal as animal feed. The carcass was incinerated and therefore poses no danger to other animals or humans (photo Agri). It was within the framework of the BSE monitoring program that the laboratory in charge of the analyzes revealed the disease in a 12-year-old cow which was to be slaughtered, according to the press release from the Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs ( OSAV) published Monday, March 13, 2023. The analyzes carried out subsequently showed that it was an atypical case of BSE. The carcass was disposed of properly and incinerated: the meat of the sick cow was therefore not introduced into the food chain. The atypical form of BSE can appear spontaneously, unlike the classic form, and ...