For the first time, Norway has reported a case of Bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE) in a cow on a Nord-Trøndelag county farm. Dre Kristina Landsverk, Chief Veterinary Officer, Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Brumunddal, Norway notified the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Thursday.

Cow and calf Image/Agricultural Research Services
Cow and calf
Image/Agricultural Research Services

According to the report, on 20 January 2015, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute reported suspicion of BSE on a cow in Norway, based on initial test done on CNS material.

The 15-year-old cow did not show clinical signs of neurological disease before she was killed (12 January 2015) due to old age and injuries.

Testing for the prion disease was performed as part of the BSE surveillance program. The animal tested positive for  atypical BSE type H by the EU Reference Laboratory, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Weybridge, UK.

The farm is a beef cattle farm with a herd of 27 Scottish Highland cattle, according to the report. The affected cow’s carcass has been completely destroyed.