A case of atypical BSE has been confirmed in Ireland.

The Irish Farmers Journal understands the case was identified in a nine-year-old cow.

"Tests carried out at the Department’s Central Veterinary Research Laboratory confirmed a case of 'atypical BSE' on the evening of 9 April 2026," a Department of Agriculture spokesperson said.

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The animal was identified during the Department’s ongoing systematic surveillance of fallen animals at fallen animal collection centres.

"The animal did not enter the food or feed chain and there are no public health risks associated with this occurrence.

"Atypical BSE is a rare spontaneous event that may occur in any bovine population," the Department said.

Trade

The identification of this atypical BSE case does not affect trade generally, the Department said.

"However, agreements with some trading partners require notification of such cases and the relevant competent authorities have been informed.

"Agreements with China, Japan and Korea require official notification of such cases to issue to their competent authorities. The Department notified their competent authorities on 10 April 2026 and await their response."

Korea has suspended beef imports from Ireland following confirmation of the case.

Reporting

In 2023, the World Organisation for Animal Health decided that the compulsory reporting of atypical cases of BSE was no longer necessary. This case does not affect Ireland’s negligible risk status for BSE.

The compulsory reporting of classical BSE still remains in place.

Classical BSE occurs through the consumption of contaminated feed and atypical BSE is believed to occur in all cattle populations at a very low rate. It has only been identified in older cattle.

Irish beef exports to China had only resumed in January 2026 following the last case of atypical BSE in October 2024. Two weeks after the market reopened, exports were suspended due to bluetongue in Wexford. Hide exports to China resumed in February 2026.

What it means now

The announcement of an atypical case of BSE has market implications for Irish beef exports, in that it means trade with both South Korea and China is suspended with immediate effect.

China had already been closed because of the bluetongue incidents.

While a market being closed to Irish beef exports is never good news, the loss of these two markets has no immediate material impact.

Ireland hadn’t exported any beef at all to South Korea in January this year and for all of 2025, just 369t was exported, according to Bord Bia data.

China had already been closed for much of 2025 due to a previous atypical BSE incident, as has been the case for much of the time since that market formally reopened for Irish beef exports in 2018.

Due to these multiple suspensions because of isolated atypical BSE cases, China failed to become the significant market that it had been expected to, with hopes of it taking up to 30,000t annually.

The latest suspension because of bluetongue in January this year came only weeks after the previous BSE suspension had been lifted.

The market in South Korea had been opened for Irish beef exports in 2024 after several years of negotiation. While it is one of the largest beef importing countries in the world - with only China, the US and Japan importing more beef annually - volumes supplied from Ireland have been tiny so far.