Atypical BSE case found in Alberta

A case of atypical BSE is being reported in a cow in Alberta with provincial and federal officials set to meet with cattle industry officials early next week to discuss the discovery.

Atypical BSE differs from the classical variant because it occurs spontaneously, but rarely, in older cattle.

Alberta Agriculture Minister Nate Horner released a statement Friday afternoon commending the provincial BSE surveillance program for identifying the case quickly.

“The detection of this atypical case is Canada’s first case of BSE in more than six years, which we owe to our cattle producers’ vigilance and the success of surveillance and control measures we’ve implemented across the country over the past 20 years,” read Horner’s statement.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will lead the investigation into the BSE case, according to the statement, with provincial officials providing support.

Unlike the classical variant, atypical BSE is not believed to lead to the human variant of the prion disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, nor is it connected to contaminated feed.

Classical BSE was last diagnosed in Canada in 2015.

The last case of atypical BSE in North America was identified in a Florida mixed-breed beef cow.