OIE Scientific Commission maintains Brazil BSE status as negligible and recommends strong monitoring

Paris, 11 February 2013 – At its recent biannual meeting, from 4 to 8 February 2013, the OIE Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases addressed among different issues the occurrence of the first case of BSE recorded in Brazil.

The Commission was briefed by a Delegation from Brazil on the sequence of events leading to the notification of this case of BSE to the OIE.  After extensive deliberation the Commission concluded in accordance with the standards of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code, not to withdraw the "negligible risk" status of Brazil.

The Commission also affirmed that the identification of this single case of BSE is not putting the country’s or its trading partners’ animal and public health at risk, notably because the animal was destroyed and no parts of it entered the food or feed chain.

The Commission however, noted with concern that there had been a considerable delay before Brazil sent the clinical samples for a confirmatory diagnosis to an OIE Reference Laboratory.  The Commission therefore agreed that it needed more detailed information on the procedures in place for processing samples and the improvement of the surveillance system in the country so as to further monitor the continuous compliance by Brazil with the relevant provisions of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code to be respected for the sustainable maintenance of its official status for BSE.

 At its next meeting in September 2013 the Commission will again assess the additional information to be provided by Brazil.

http://www.oie.int/for-the-media/press-releases/detail/article/oie-scientific-commission-maintains-brazil-bse-status-as-negligible-and-recommends-strong-monitoring/