The future of BSE from the global perspective

Area of Science:

• Veterinary epidemiology
• Food safety science
• Animal health surveillance

Background:

• Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) poses a significant risk to animal and public health.
• While European countries have assessed BSE risk and implemented control measures, data completeness and validity remain challenges.
• Global data on BSE surveillance is largely unavailable, hindering comprehensive risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical need for complete and valid data in bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk assessments.
• To emphasize the importance of improving global surveillance data collection for accurate BSE risk evaluation.
• To ensure the safe international trade of cattle and derived products.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing BSE risk assessment methodologies.
• Analysis of data availability and quality in BSE surveillance systems.
• Identification of gaps in global BSE data collection and reporting.

Main Results:

• Inconsistent availability of complete and valid BSE surveillance data, particularly globally.
• Potential for inaccurate conclusions due to incomplete or invalid information in risk assessments.
• Significant data gaps exist in numerous countries worldwide.

Conclusions:

• Continued assessment of BSE risk globally is essential.
• Enhancing the collection of valid surveillance data is imperative for both reporting and non-reporting countries.
• Improved data quality is vital for a comprehensive understanding of the global BSE situation and to facilitate safe trade.