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The first case of BSE in Poland since 2013 was found in an herd of 50 cattle at the end of January in Mirsk near the Czech border, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has revealed.
According to the report filed by Poland's ministry of agriculture, a suspected case detected in an animal on 24 January was confirmed one week later by the National Veterinary Research Institute.
The animal was killed and disposed of. As with most atypical cases, the cause of infection was unknown.
Negligible risk status
"This event does not have any influence on official BSE risk status recognition of Poland," the OIE commented.
"For the purposes of official BSE risk status recognition, BSE excludes 'atypical BSE' as a condition believed to occur spontaneously in all cattle populations at a very low rate."
Poland enjoys negligible BSE risk status, the lowest risk level under OIE rules. Ireland has controlled risk status.
Leading beef exporter
Poland is one of the EU's leading beef exporters, largely from its dairy herd. In the crucial UK market, Polish beef is the third largest volume supplier with nearly 16,000t shipped over the first 11 months of last year, behind the Netherlands (18,000t) and Ireland (190,000t).
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