Annual Report of the Scientific Network on BSE-TSE 2016

The EFSA Scientific Network on bovine spongiform encephalopathies and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (BSE-TSE) held its 11th meeting on 5 and 6 October 2016 in Parma. The meeting served as an opportunity to exchange scientific information on BSE-TSE related issues among EU Member States, countries from the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), EFSA, the European Commission and ad hoc participants. In this occasion, ad hoc representation included the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) and the OIE reference laboratory for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and scrapie. The topics discussed included an update on BSE-TSE-related activities at national and international level and results from recent TSE-related research projects and risk assessments in several EU countries. The Network discussed updates on the epidemiological situation of CWD in Europe and North America, future plans for CWD surveillance, ongoing activities on BSE cases born after the reinforced feed ban (BARB), EU data collection on TSE in animals, and the priorities in TSE research.