The Department of Agriculture has identified an atypical BSE case in an 18-year-old cow in Galway.

It was identified through surveillance of “fallen” animals which died on a farm in Galway.

The animal tested positive on a screening test carried out at a department-approved, accredited private laboratory over the weekend and was then subject to follow-up confirmatory tests at the department’s Central Veterinary Research Laboratory.

There are two types of BSE, more commonly known as Mad Cow Disease.

There are no associated public health risks with atypical BSE.

It occurs in older animals with a low incidence rate, having been first recognised in the early 2000s.

Excluded from food chain

A comprehensive set of public health controls are in place and the animal in this case was excluded from the food chain and its carcase will be incinerated.

The disclosure of this case of Atypical BSE does not have any impact of Ireland’s current “controlled risk” status or trade status.

There have been 101 atypical BSE cases identified in the European Union during the period 2003 to 2015.

This compares to a total of 2,999 cases of classical BSE during the same period.