A case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been identified in Wales after the disease was found in a dead cow on a farm .The case has been confirmed by the Welsh government and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

According to the Welsh Deputy Agriculture Minister, Rebecca Evans, there is no risk to human health as a result of the identified case as the animal did not enter the food chain.

“The case was identified as a result of the strict control measures we have in place. The Food Standards Agency and Public Health Wales have confirmed there is no risk to human health as a result of this isolated case,” said Evans.

The deputy minister said that her officials were working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and APHA to investigate the circumstances of the case.

“All animals over four years of age that die on a farm are routinely tested for the disease under our comprehensive surveillance system,” she added.

“While the disease is not directly transmitted from animal to animal, its cohorts, including offspring, have been traced and isolated, and will be destroyed in line with EU requirements. In addition to the measures we have in place for fallen stock and animal feed, there is a strict control regime to protect consumers,” said Evans.

Although there have been a number of sporadic cases of BSE recorded in the UK in recent years, this is the first time a recorded case of BSE has been identified in Wales since 2013.

Earlier this year in Ireland, a case of BSE was identified in a five-year-old rare breed Rotbunt dairy cow on a farm in Co Louth. An investigation by the Department of Agriculture confirmed the case as an isolated and classical case of BSE.