Cow that died from BSE was an isolated case

Ireland’s valuable international beef and dairy trade is not expected to suffer after tests confirmed a cow which died from BSE was an isolated case.

Veterinary chiefs said there is no trace of the disease in 67 other animals linked to the rare breed and there are no concerns about the feeds used on the Co Louth farm.

The Department of Agriculture described it as a “classical case”.

Normally, this is when animals have eaten contaminated feed or the disease is passed down bloodlines, rather than it being atypical or spontaneous.

It is the first case of BSE in Ireland since 2013.

The department said all animals potentially exposed to the “agent that caused this incident” were identified, slaughtered and excluded from the food and feed chains.

Ireland signed lucrative contracts in the last 18 months with China, Japan and the US and became the first European country returning to some markets.

Lobby group Meat Industry Ireland said it was business as usual in the international beef markets after the case was discovered.

“While this single case is disappointing, it has no impact from a beef trading perspective,” a spokesman said.

“Ireland’s recent successful market access to the US and Japan, as well as China, was secured as a result of the control risk status that Ireland continues to hold and which has served us well in international markets.”

Department of Agriculture officials said the dam and grand dam of the infected animal tested negative for BSE at slaughter, removing fears the disease had been passed down through generations. They said feed samples from suppliers to the farm in 2009 and 2010 and from feed currently on the farm were examined and no traces of meat or bonemeal were found.

The department said: “The identification of classical BSE cases after the implementation of the ban on the feeding of meat and bonemeal is not unprecedented. A diminishing number of such cases have been identified in Ireland and in other countries over the years.”

Ireland is now expected to be reclassified as a controlled risk status for BSE after being given the improved ranking of negligible earlier this year.

Reports of BSE cases in Ireland have fallen steadily over the last decade: In 2013 there was one case, three in 2011 and 2012, two in 2010, nine in 2009 and 23 in 2008. BSE was first diagnosed in cows in Ireland in 1989.

It is more commonly referred to as mad cow disease and a link between it and the degenerative variant CJD in humans was accepted in 2001 by the World Organisation for Animal Health. It is believed to have spread into cattle herds via animal feed containing infected material, possibly offal with brain or nervous system tissue.

The Irish Farmers’ Association said the reaction from trading partners to the first case in Ireland in two years had been calm and balanced. President Eddie Downey said consumers can be reassured about the robustness of food safety controls.