A suspected case of BSE is being reported in Brazil, according to reports from news agencies.

The Brazilian agricultural ministry is investigating the case which was announced late last week. A routine inspection at a meat plant in Mato Grosso caused alarm with veterinary inspectors and laboratory tests are currently underway.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has classed Brazil as a country with an ‘insignificant’ risk of BSE and said that a previous single case of BSE in 2010 did not put the country’s herds at risk.  However a number of countries, including Egypt, Japan and China, banned beef imports from Brazil last year after a case of BSE was reported there.

Mato Grosso is Brazil’s largest beef-exporting state.

Source: Agriland