What are Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs)?
TSEs are a family of diseases occurring in man and animals that are characterised by a degeneration of brain tissue giving a sponge-like appearance. The family includes diseases such as Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) in humans, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle and scrapie in sheep and goats. While BSE has only recently been identified, scrapie has been known for centuries and on the basis of the available data is not considered to be transmissible to humans nor to pose a risk to man. However EU legislation in place to prevent the spread and transmission of BSE applies also to sheep and to goats as a precautionary measure (eg. removal of specific risk material like brain and spinal cord since 2000, ban of feeding mammalian meat-and-bone-meal to ruminants since 1994). Is there any evidence or reason to suspect sheep and goats can also have BSE? BSE has never been found amongst sheep living in the fields. It is known however that sheep were partially fed in UK and elsewhe
