14 May 2007

2 minute read

SRMs are the tissues in cattle containing the highest risk of BSE infectivity. These are removed as a key element of the EU BSE controls. EFSA was asked by the European Commission to follow-up on one of its recommendations from its previous opinion (EFSA, 2005) on SRM removal by further estimating the likelihood of the infectivity in SRMs derived from BSE-infected cattle. Following evaluation of new experimental data, the EFSA Panel on biological hazards (BIOHAZ) confirmed that its earlier opinion of 2005 is still valid, which said that BSE infectivity in the central nervous system of cattle occurs during the last quarter of the incubation period in the animal before the disease becomes clinically detectable.

Experimental data confirmed that the “marker” for BSE (the disease-associated prion protein) in the central nervous system of cattle becomes detectable during the last quarter of the BSE incubation period in the animal, before the disease becomes clinically manifest.

In applying this prediction model on the likely natural exposure of cattle (rather than artificial laboratory experiments), the BSE “marker” would either not be detectable or would still be absent in the vertebral column in cattle up to and including the age of 33 months. However, the interpretation of such experimental data needs to take into account the exceptional detection of BSE infection in animals younger than 33 months in EU cohorts born after 2000, and the fact that failure to detect the BSE “marker” does not guarantee absence of infectivity in a tissue. The Panel also noted that the BSE epidemic is in decline, and is likely to continue to decrease further, in the different EU Member States.

However, the Panel also recommended that there is good reason to consider the risk level of each Member State separately or consider groups with similar characteristics because of differences at the start of various control measures and surveillance between EU member states, as well as differences in the country specific level of exposure.

It is for the European Commission and risk managers in Member States to decide whether any modifications to current controls are warranted, informed by EFSA’s opinion.