These documents provide statistics on the number of cases of TSE disease found through the active and passive disease surveillance of cattle in the United Kingdom.
Cases of TSE disease identified in cattle from passive surveillance in United Kingdom have been recorded since 1986. The UK carried out limited active surveillance in cattle from 1999 to 2001. The European Union active surveillance programme started in July 2001.
The UK carries out active disease surveillance for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. The testing programme includes cattle over 48 months of age which:
die or are killed other than for human consumption (fallen cattle)
are emergency slaughtered or show certain abnormalities at ante-mortem inspection
These age thresholds apply to cattle born in the United Kingdom or in other EU member states except Bulgaria and Romania. For cattle born elsewhere the age thresholds are 24 months for fallen cattle or emergency slaughtered cattle, and 30 months for healthy fallen cattle.
Passive disease surveillance takes place when an animal with clinical signs suspicious of a TSE disease is reported to Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), and further investigation determines whether the animal was affected by BSE or scrapie.
Updates to this page
Published 11 February 2015 Last updated 5 December 2024 +show all updates
Added the latest age and related statistics.
Updated the following TSE statistics documents: age and related statistics and the lists of BARB cases.
Updated all 4 Cattle TSE surveillance statistics documents.
Updated all 4 Cattle TSE surveillance statistics documents.
Updated all 4 Cattle TSE surveillance statistics documents.
Updated the general statistics.
Update all 4 attachments.
Updated the following TSE statistics documents: Overview of Great Britain statistics, general statistics, age and related statistics, list of BSE cases born after the reinforced feed ban (BARB).
Updated the following TSE statistics documents: general statistics, age and related statistics and the lists of BARB cases.
Updated the overview of Great Britain statistics document.
Updated the following TSE statistics documents: overview of Great Britain statistics, general statistics, age and related statistics, list of BARB cases.
Updated the following TSE statistics documents: Overview of Great Britain statistics, general statistics, age and related statistics, list of BARB cases.
Updated the documents to include the latest data.
Attachments updated to include February 2021 data.
Updated the overview and general statistics documents.
Stats available for November 2020.
Updated the cattle TSE surveillance statistics: overview of GB, age and related and general.
Updated the TSE cattle barb cases statistics.
Updated the cattle TSE surveillance statistics: overview of GB and general.
Updated cattle TSE surveillance statistics reports for September 2019
