A case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has been discovered in Poland according to the country’s veterinary authorities.

According to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), the State Veterinary Institute informed the World Organisation for Animal Health that symptoms had been discovered in a cow in the region of Lower Silesia, in the south-west of the country along the Czech Republic border.

The discovery symptoms were noticed in the animal on Thursday, January 24, and the disease was confirmed to be present by laboratory testing on Thursday, January 31.

PAP reports that the animal was killed and disposed of.

“According to the legislation of the World Organisation of Animal Health, BSE in an atypical form does not affect the status of Poland as a country with negligible BSE risk,” said Prof. Krzysztof Niemczuk, director of the State Veterinary Institute, quoted in PAP.

24-hour slaughterhouse monitoring

The news comes after Poland introduced 24-hour monitoring of slaughterhouses, after one meat plant was found to be slaughtering animals unfit for human consumption.

Meat produce from that abattoir was recalled from 12 EU countries; according to Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski, the country’s minister for agriculture, the produce was recalled because it came from illegal slaughter carried out without veterinary supervision, contrary to applicable law.

24-hour monitoring of the slaughterhouse and monitoring of animal transport will be introduced. There will also be checks on all intermediaries.

According to the minister, the new regulations “will eliminate even the temptation to act illegally”.

Minister Ardanowski also highlighted that there had been similar cases across Europe, and that he would be proposing a European Union wide review of animal slaughtering.