A case of Atypical BSE reported in an Alberta cow is not expected to have any impact on the domestic cattle market nor Canada’s official BSE risk status.
Alberta Agriculture Minister Nate Horner announced the case in a release Friday, noting Atypical BSE presents no risk to human health, is not transmissible, and is “not expected to have market impacts.”
BSE is not contagious and exists in two types - classical and atypical. Classical BSE is the form that occurred primarily in the United Kingdom, beginning in the late 1980s, and it has been linked to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in people. The primary source of infection for classical BSE is contaminated feed. Atypical BSE is different, and it generally occurs in older cattle, usually 8 years of age or greater. It seems to arise rarely and spontaneously in all cattle populations.
According to Horner, Atypical BSE spontaneously happens at a rate of about one in one million cattle regardless of how well a producer takes care of their herd. It has been reported six times in the US, most recently in 2018, as well as a few other countries.
Atypical BSE cases do not impact official BSE risk status. In May 2021, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) formally recognized Canada as having negligible risk for BSE.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is leading the response on the case, and the Alberta government is providing support where possible with help from industry, producers and veterinary professionals. Horner said.
Alberta government and CFIA officials on Monday were meeting with stakeholders from across the province’s cattle industry to answer questions and reassure them all levels of government are working together on the case.
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