BSE Enhanced Surveillance - Testing and Sampling Information

Testing Methods

No validated live animal test for BSE currently exists. Accordingly, testing for BSE can only be done on the brains of dead animals. Brain samples are screened using rapid tests that accurately and quickly detect a BSE positive sample nearly 100% of the time. Rapid tests can, in rare cases, react when a sample is not infected with BSE. These are known as "inconclusive" results.

All samples that yield inconclusive results using a rapid test are sent to the CFIA laboratory in Lethbridge, Alberta for confirmatory testing. There they are tested using either the immunohistochemistry (IHC), or in the case of poor quality samples or IHC suspect results, the Scrapie Associated Fibril (SAF) Immunoblot. Both are internationally recognized confirmatory tests for BSE.

Testing Levels

In January 2004, the Government of Canada announced that it would enhance its BSE surveillance testing to at least 8,000 cattle during the first year and to 30,000 per year in subsequent years to calculate the prevalence of BSE in Canadian adult cattle. The level and design of this enhanced program continues to be in full accordance with the guidelines recommended by the OIE. As of July 2008, roughly 230,000 cattle had been tested since BSE was first detected in 2003. This illustrates the effectiveness of the national BSE surveillance program and the strong commitment from all levels of government, producers, private veterinarians and industry stakeholders to finding the disease. Sampling numbers and test results are posted on the CFIA website.

Sample Collection

BSE surveillance samples come from a variety of sources, including the farm, federal, provincial and territorial abattoirs, rendering and deadstock operations, veterinary practitioners, and university and provincial veterinary diagnostic laboratories.

Since the effectiveness of this surveillance program relies heavily on the participation and cooperation of industry and all members of the animal health community, the CFIA, in partnership with stakeholders, launched a comprehensive awareness campaign to encourage the availability of suitable samples. Primary producers are a key component to the success of Canada’s surveillance efforts and were, accordingly, the principle audience for this campaign.

Submitting Samples

To report a down, diseased, dying, or dead cow, call your local CFIA office.

Reimbursement Program

In 2004, the CFIA launched a program whereby producers, veterinarians and deadstock collectors receive payment when services are provided to the CFIA that result in an eligible sample being submitted for testing under the national BSE surveillance program. Such payment may assist producers in covering a portion of the veterinary examination fees and carcass disposal costs. In the case of deadstock collectors, this payment is intended to cover the cost of presenting samples to the CFIA for testing, as well as the cost of holding carcasses until test results are known.

Many provinces have also demonstrated their commitment by providing additional support to the reimbursement program through increased laboratory capacity, education and awareness campaigns, sampling assistance and financial supplements to the federal payments. This collective effort is critical to a successful national surveillance program and to the continued demonstration of vigilance in animal and public health and food safety in Canada.