19 Aug 2026
An inquiry has begun into the source of the incident as officials praised the affected farmer for their swift action.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Aerial image of rural Dumfries and Galloway. Aerial view of Ken Dee Bridge and river, near New Galloway, Dumfries and Galloway. Image: Quarterland Photos / Adobe Stock
An investigation has been launched after a new case of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was confirmed on a farm in southern Scotland.
Precautionary movement restrictions have been put in place around the site in Dumfries and Galloway as work continues to identify the source of the case.
However, officials have described the incident as “isolated” and have stressed there is no risk to the public.
A Scottish Government statement released this afternoon (19 August) said the affected cow had been identified through routine surveillance that sees all animals aged above four that die on farm tested for the disease.
Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie said agencies had acted “swiftly and decisively” to protect the farming industry and the case showed its surveillance protocols were working effectively.
He also praised the animal owner’s handling of the case, adding: “Their swift action allowed us to identify and isolate the case immediately, minimising its impact on the wider industry.”
Although classical BSE is considered to be zoonotic because of the presumed link with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, Food Standards Scotland say there is no risk to the public as the affected animal did not enter the human food chain.
The latest case is thought to be the first in the UK since the country’s BSE status was downgraded to “negligible” by the World Organisation for Animal Health last year in a move that was thought to offer a significant boost to trade.
