Canada has changed the way it measures BSE surveillance testing from the total number of animals tested to a point system based on the kinds of animals tested.
The changes are based on those adopted by the OIE, the world animal health organization, to get a better measure of each country’s BSE surveillance, said Gerald Ollis, Alberta’s chief provincial veterinarian.
Under the new system, a country testing only young healthy animals for BSE will not rate as high as a country that tests cattle that are more likely to have BSE, said Ollis.
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“If you tested an animal between four and seven years of age and it is showing classical signs or neurological signs that would indicate this is BSE, that negative BSE test is worth 750 points. The healthy 18-month fat feeder for slaughter is worth virtually zero points,” said Ollis.
“It’s pretty difficult to compare the kinds of surveillance from one country to another if you’re just looking at total numbers tested.”
Under the new rules, Canada must accumulate at least 300,000 BSE surveillance points over a seven-year period to apply for a controlled or negligible BSE risk category from the OIE.
Darcy Undseth, with the CFIA’s veterinary network program office, said the new system will soon become the international standard and will clearly evaluate a country’s BSE risk classification.
Alberta also changed its provincial BSE surveillance compensation program by eliminating payment for skinny or emaciated animals with a body condition score of one or less that show no clinical signs of the disease.
“They’re of very little value to us. Even older cows showing clinical signs give us value,” said Ollis.
Under the program initiated last year, the provincial government helps offset the cost associated with BSE testing. A $225 payment to producers is made to encourage the testing of animals older than 30 months that fall into one of the 4-D categories: downer, dead, distressed or diseased. Before payment was offered, few animals were submitted for testing and Canada was falling short of its testing requirements.
Alberta has about 40 percent of the country’s cattle. About 52 percent of Canada’s 115,000 BSE tests are from Alberta.
Veterinarians are also compensated for their costs and provincially inspected abattoirs receive $75 per tested animal to offset the cost of storing carcasses and offal until test results are received.
In other provinces, most cattle sent for testing are from dead stock pickup or are animals with clinical signs of potential BSE.
Ollis said the changes were made to focus on animals that give the program the biggest BSE testing value.
The other major change is that the province is asking veterinarians to provide more clinical history of animals that are tested. If a veterinarian finds a dead cow older than 30 months on a farm but has no information on the animal’s age, there is limited value for the BSE points system.
But if the veterinarian can include the animal’s birth records and some clinical history, it will receive a higher points rating on the new BSE surveillance scale.
Ollis said there are no plans to reduce the number of cattle tested, but to focus on those in the highest risk category.
