What are the results of the new testing programmes since 1 January 2001?
In addition to the compulsory examination of all animals showing signs suggestive of BSE, rapid post mortem testing for BSE must, as of 1 January 2001, be carried out on: – all cattle over 30 months of age slaughtered as emergencies or showing signs of any kind of illness at the ante mortem inspection in the slaughterhouse; – a random sample of cattle that have died on the farm; – healthy animals over 30 months destined for human consumption (with the exception of Austria, Sweden and Finland, where a scientific assessment shows that the risk of BSE is lower). As expected, this more systematic testing has resulted in an increase in the number of detected BSE cases in most Member States but it is notable that most cases 85% – are still detected through surveillance of suspect or at risk animals. A table showing the results is enclosed. These results are still preliminary, but they confirm the Commission’s initial hypothesis that systematic testing would reveal more BSE cases than passive
