Updates on the presence of TSEs in the EU

EFSA has published its third summary report on the monitoring of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in the EU. The report provides results on data collected by all EU Member States, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland for 2017.

The main findings are:

• No cases of classical BSE in cattle (out of 1,312,714 animals tested) were reported in the EU in 2017. Six cases of atypical BSE were reported.
• There were 933 cases of scrapie in sheep (out of 314,547 tested) and 567 in goats (out of 117,268 tested) in the EU.
• No cases of chronic waste disease in any of the 3,585 cervids tested (e.g. reindeer, elk and moose) reported in the EU. However, 11 cases of CWD were reported in Norway: nine in wild reindeer, one in moose and, for the first time, one in red deer.

What are TSEs?

TSEs are a group of diseases that affect the brain and nervous system of humans and animals. These include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), scrapie and chronic wasting disease (CWD). With the exception of classical BSE, there is no scientific evidence that TSEs can be transmitted to humans.

• The European Union summary report on surveillance for the presence of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in 2017