Ardennes, France – According to recent reports from health authorities from France, a case of mad cow disease was confirmed on a particular bovine that unfortunately died on Thursday in the northeast region of France, Ardennes.
The case known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or BSE was announced by the French Ministry of Agriculture on following the demise of the cow and makes it the third detected case of the bovine virus in Europe since the past 5 years.
The French government also made a statement saying the case of BSE that resulted in the premature death of a five-year-old cow poses no risk to consumers, as it was an isolated case and was detected long before it was sent to slaughter. The bovine virus affects the brain of farm animals, mostly cattle, and usually leads to a degenerative brain disorder known as the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease also diagnosed in humans.
Until know, there’s no effective treatment for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or commonly known as mad cow disease. The disease is considered life threatening, as cows in previous cases and even human patients have demonstrated the BSE’s mortality.
French officials first detected the case found in the region of Ardennes in the past week when the cattle older than 4 years were tested, said the report from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Nevertheless, the French agriculture ministry Stephane Le Foll continues to assure people that this isolated incident will not put consumers at risk at any time.
Le Foll also added that the European Union reference laboratory confirmed the BSE on March 23, which causes a significant threat to France’s farming sectors because it could further deteriorate them. In spite of this, health officials will gather in order to address the problem as well as the measures necessary to prevent future cattle to develop the disease.
It’s worth mentioning that France is going through hard times as well as the food prices including pork, milk and beef have recently tolerated price collapses and unbalanced cost cutting measures.
The meeting with associates from the National Advisory Board of Animal and Plant Health Policy will take place on Friday. The meeting is expected not only to help prevent future cattle to be tested positive for BSE but also to help determine an effective treatment for the bovine disorder.
According to the statement by the French Ministry of Agriculture, regulatory agencies have already supported his claim stating the deceased cow was an isolated case. Hopefully for the French farm sectors, in particular, health officials will tackle the issue vigorously in order to find a treatment targeted to eradicate the disease.
Source: Reuters