Research and analysis

Cattle: TSE surveillance statistics

Statistics on the surveillance of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in cattle in the United Kingdom.

From:
Animal and Plant Health Agency
Published
11 February 2015
Last updated
17 July 2025 — See all updates

Documents

Overview of Great Britain statistics

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 41.2 KB

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General statistics

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 163 KB

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Age and related statistics

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 64 KB

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BSE cases born after the reinforced feed ban (BARB) in the UK

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 24.4 KB

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Details

These documents provide statistics on the number of cases of TSE disease found through the active and passive disease surveillance of cattle in the United Kingdom.

Cases of TSE disease identified in cattle from passive surveillance in United Kingdom have been recorded since 1986. The UK carried out limited active surveillance in cattle from 1999 to 2001. The European Union active surveillance programme started in July 2001.

The UK carries out active disease surveillance for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. The testing programme includes cattle over 48 months of age which:

  • die or are killed other than for human consumption (fallen cattle)
  • are emergency slaughtered or show certain abnormalities at ante-mortem inspection

These age thresholds apply to cattle born in the United Kingdom or in other EU member states except Bulgaria and Romania. For cattle born elsewhere the age thresholds are 24 months for fallen cattle or emergency slaughtered cattle, and 30 months for healthy fallen cattle.

Passive disease surveillance takes place when an animal with clinical signs suspicious of a TSE disease is reported to Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), and further investigation determines whether the animal was affected by BSE or scrapie.

Updates to this page

Published 11 February 2015
Last updated 17 July 2025 show all updates

  1. Updated the following 3 TSE statistics documents: 'Overview of Great Britain statistics', 'General statistics' and 'Age and related statistics'.

  2. Updated all 4 Cattle TSE surveillance statistics documents.

  3. Updated the following 3 TSE statistics documents: 'Overview of Great Britain statistics', 'General statistics' and 'Age and related statistics'.

  4. Updated the following 3 TSE statistics documents: 'Overview of Great Britain statistics', 'General statistics' and 'Age and related statistics'.

  5. Updated all 4 Cattle TSE surveillance statistics documents.

  6. Added the latest age and related statistics.

  7. Updated the following TSE statistics documents: age and related statistics and the lists of BARB cases.

  8. Updated all 4 Cattle TSE surveillance statistics documents.

  9. Updated all 4 Cattle TSE surveillance statistics documents.

  10. Updated all 4 Cattle TSE surveillance statistics documents.

  11. Updated the general statistics.

  12. Update all 4 attachments.

  13. Updated the following TSE statistics documents: Overview of Great Britain statistics, general statistics, age and related statistics, list of BSE cases born after the reinforced feed ban (BARB).

  14. Updated the following TSE statistics documents: general statistics, age and related statistics and the lists of BARB cases.

  15. Updated the overview of Great Britain statistics document.

  16. Updated the following TSE statistics documents: overview of Great Britain statistics, general statistics, age and related statistics, list of BARB cases.

  17. Updated the following TSE statistics documents: Overview of Great Britain statistics, general statistics, age and related statistics, list of BARB cases.

  18. Updated the documents to include the latest data.

  19. Attachments updated to include February 2021 data.

  20. Updated the overview and general statistics documents.

  21. Stats available for November 2020.

  22. Updated the cattle TSE surveillance statistics: overview of GB, age and related and general.

  23. Updated the TSE cattle barb cases statistics.

  24. Updated the cattle TSE surveillance statistics: overview of GB and general.

  25. Updated cattle TSE surveillance statistics reports for September 2019

  26. Published cattle TSE stats for August 2019

  27. Replacement documents with July statistics uploaded.

  28. Stats available for June

  29. May 2019 statistics available

  30. Statistics updated

  31. Statistics updated

  32. Statistics available for February 2019

  33. Documents updated

  34. Documents updated

  35. Documents updated

  36. Documents updated

  37. List of BARB cases updated

  38. Documents updated

  39. Documents updated

  40. Documents updated

  41. Cattle documents updated

  42. Cattle documents updated

  43. Documents updated

  44. Documents updated

  45. Cattle documents updated

  46. Removed 'cattle over 72 months which are healthy and slaughtered for human consumption' bullet under testing programme includes section.

  47. Documents updated

  48. Updated documents

  49. Updated documents

  50. Documents updated

  51. Updated cattle documents

  52. Updated cattle documents

  53. Updated documents

  54. Cattle documents updated

  55. Updated cattle documents

  56. Cattle age and Overview of Great Britain documents updated

  57. Updated cattle documents

  58. List of BARB cases updated

  59. Updated cattle documents

  60. Documents updated

  61. Documents updated

  62. Documents updated

  63. Cattle documents updated

  64. Cattle age document updated

  65. List of BARB cases document updated

  66. Cattle documents updated

  67. Cattle documents updated

  68. Cattle documents updated

  69. Documents updated

  70. Cattle documents updated

  71. Cattle documents updated

  72. Cattle documents updated

  73. Cattle documents updated

  74. Documents updated

  75. Cattle documents updated for November 2015

  76. Updated documents for October 2015.

  77. Updated statistics for September 2015

  78. Documents updated for August 2015

  79. Documents updated for May 2015

  80. First published.

  81. AHVLA documents have been re-assigned to the new Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

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