|
||||||||||||||||||
 |
From: TSS ()
In 2005, a total of 10.113.559 bovine, 349.340 ovine and 265.489 caprine animals were tested in the EU in the framework of the TSE monitoring programme. 561 bovine, 2906 ovine and 989 caprine animals turned out positive. 1.489.988 risk bovine animals and 8.607.051 healthy animals slaughtered for human consumption were tested by rapid tests. 2.971 bovine animals were tested in the framework of passive surveillance (animals reported as BSE suspects by the farmer or the veterinary practitioner and subject to laboratory examination). In addition, 13.549 animals were tested in the framework of culling of animals with an epidemiological connection to a BSE case. 87 % of positive cases were detected by the active monitoring (testing of risk animals, healthy slaughtered and culled cattle) and 13 % were detected by passive surveillance. BSE cases were found in all Member States except Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Finland and Sweden. The number of BSE cases and the overall prevalence in tested animals decreased by respectively 35 % and 29 % in 2005 compared to 2004. The decrease was similar in both risk and healthy animals. These reductions and the increasing age of positive cases indicate that measures taken in the past are having some effect. 346.959 ovine animals were tested by active monitoring, while 2.424 were animals reported as TSE suspects and therefore subjected to laboratory examination. In caprine animals, the numbers of tests in the respective groups were 263.921 (active monitoring) and 1.560 (TSE suspects), 806 and 153 TSE cases in respectively sheep and goats confirmed in 2005 were subjected to discriminatory testing. Only in 2 sheep BSE could not be excluded by the primary discriminatory test and further analyses were needed. No new BSE cases in small ruminants were confirmed in 2005. The results of genotyping TSE positive and random sampled sheep, provides useful information to evaluate the susceptibility of sheep genotypes to classical and atypical scrapie. In addition to the Member States, Bulgaria and Norway forwarded information on the TSE testing of bovine, ovine and caprine animals. Further information: Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General, Unit E2; fax: +32-2-296.90.62; e-mail: joaquim.ordeig-vila@ec.europa.eu http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biosafety/bse/annual_report_tse2005_en.pdf TSS
|
