A total of 174 cases of BSE have been confirmed to date in 2002. This compares with 73 confirmed cases in the first six months of 2001. I am circulating a county breakdown for cases confirmed in 2002.
It is not appropriate to compare figures from the first six months of 2001 with those for the same period in 2002, as the EU requirement for active surveillance for BSE increased significantly from 1 July 2001.
In the period 1 January 2001 to 30 June 2001, the BSE testing requirement applied only to a random sample of fallen animals over 24 months of age, to animals over 30 months of age intended for human consumption and to casualty animals over 24 months of age. In addition in that period 278,025 animals over 30 months of age were slaughtered under the purchase for destruction scheme and did not, therefore, have to be tested.
From 1 July 2001, the BSE testing requirement was extended to cover all fallen animals over 24 months of age. This fact, and the ending of the purchase for destruction scheme on 30 June 2001, greatly increased the number of cattle required to be tested from 1 July 2001. Indeed to date in 2002, a total of 266,480 rapid BSE tests were conducted, compared to 126,230 such tests in the same period in 2001.