Single case of BSE confirmed in cow on Dumfries and Galloway farm

“The fact we identified this isolated case so quickly is proof that our surveillance system for detecting this type of disease is working effectively,” he said.

“I want to thank the animal’s owner for their diligence.

“Their decisive action has allowed us to identify and isolate the case at speed which has minimised its impact on the wider industry.”

Ms Voas said the fast detection of the case was proof that the surveillance system was doing its job.

“We are working closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, and other partners to identify where the disease came from,” she said.

Ian McWatt, deputy chief executive of FSS, said strict controls were in place to protect consumers from the risk of BSE and those “important protection measures” remained in place.

There have been a handful of cases of BSE in the UK in the last decade including one in Ayrshire earlier this year.

Monitoring has been carried out since the crisis in the 1980s when 180,000 cattle were infected and 4.4 million slaughtered in order to eradicate the disease.