Atypical case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been identified in an eleven-year old cow in Alabama

An atypical case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been identified in an eleven-year old cow in Alabama, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The cow did not enter any processing facilities and it presents no threat to the food supply.Tests through USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) determined the cow was positive for atypical (L-type) BSE. The cow was discovered through routine surveillance of cattle at an Alabama livestock market. Information on the case is currently being gathered by APHIS and Alabama state veterinary officials.BSE is a neurological disease that is found in two forms - classical and atypical.Classical BSE is primarily caused by feed contaminated with infectious prion agents, like those derived from meat-and-bone meal. This is why Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibited the use of mammalian protein in feed for cattle and other ruminants starting in 1997. Starting in 2009, high risk tissue materials in all animal feed was prohibited.Atypical BSE is a different strain and is typically found in older cattle, most commonly eight years or older.