No NI link to rare ‘mad cow disease’ case confirmed in Scotland, Minister says

Northern Ireland has no identified link to a rare case of classical BSE — commonly known as mad cow disease — confirmed on a farm in Scotland, Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has said.

The case was discovered on a farm in Dumfries and Galloway and identified through routine BSE surveillance. Movement restrictions have now been put in place while investigations continue to establish the origin of the case.

Importantly, the affected animal did not enter the human food chain, and Food Standards Scotland has confirmed there is no risk to human health as a result of the isolated case.

Minister reassures Northern Ireland public

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir said the rare detection demonstrated that surveillance controls designed to identify Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) continue to work.

Minister Muir said:

“The confirmation of a positive case of classical BSE is rare and while it is disappointing, it proves the controls on BSE surveillance are sufficiently robust, rigorous and are effective at identifying issues as early as possible.

“At this stage, there are no links to Northern Ireland and this finding will not impact on Northern Ireland’s or Scotland’s BSE negligible risk status.”

Northern Ireland and Scotland have held BSE negligible risk status since 2017. The designation is awarded to countries or regions which satisfy World Organisation for Animal Health requirements relating to BSE controls, including measures covering animal feed and risk material.

England and Wales attained negligible risk status in 2025.

Northern Ireland beef ‘safe to eat’

Mr Muir also sought to reassure consumers over the safety of Northern Ireland beef and the controls protecting the food chain.

He said:

“Working with the Food Standards Agency we have stringent controls in meat plants and animal feed companies to ensure the safety of the food chain in Northern Ireland and that beef from Northern Ireland is safe to eat.

“Contaminated feed can be a cause of BSE and I would urge farmers to ensure they source feed responsibly and are compliant with relevant Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) legislation including maintaining proper records of food supplied.

“My officials will continue to engage with colleagues in the Scottish Government and I have asked to be kept updated on developments as the investigations into the case continue.”

What is BSE or ‘mad cow disease’?

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, commonly known as mad cow disease, is one of a group of diseases affecting the brain and can be fatal to cattle.

BSE became a notifiable disease in the UK in 1988. A range of livestock, food and animal-feed controls introduced from the late 1980s have since been used to control the disease, with strict rules remaining in place for its prevention, control and eradication.

Negligible risk status reflects the controls a country or region has in place, including measures relating to animal feed and specified risk material.

The reduced level of risk also allows more material from cattle in negligible-risk areas to be utilised, reducing the amount which must be disposed of following slaughter.

More information about BSE is available from DAERA here.

GB cattle movements already suspended

The Scottish BSE case does not introduce a new suspension on cattle movements from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.

Movements of cattle from Great Britain to Northern Ireland already remain suspended because of the Bluetongue incursion in Great Britain.

For now, authorities say there is no identified connection between the Scottish BSE case and Northern Ireland, while Northern Ireland’s BSE negligible risk status remains unchanged.

DAERA officials will continue to engage with the Scottish Government as investigations seek to establish the origin of the case.