Teaching Workshop: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
Non-ambulatory Disabled Cattle

Non-ambulatory Disabled Cattle

• On January 12, 2004, FSIS issued an interim final rule that covered:
  • Requirements for the disposition of non-ambulatory disabled cattle.
  • As well as the prohibition of Specified Risk Materials (SRMs) in human food.

Definition

• Non-ambulatory disabled cattle are:
  • [Cattle] "that cannot rise from a recumbent position or cannot walk, including, but not limited to, those with broken appendages, severed tendons or ligaments, nerve paralysis, fractured vertebral column or metabolic conditions."

BSE Risks

• Surveillance data from European countries with BSE indicate that the cattle with a greater incidence of BSE are:
  • Dead cattle
  • Cattle that cannot rise from a recumbent position
  • Cattle that show clinical signs of a Central Nervous System (CNS) disorder
• Testing
  • There is no sensitive and reliable test for BSE in live animals.
  • Post-mortem tests:
    • Can only indicate that cattle have the disease, at the earliest, two to three months before the onset of the clinical disease.
    • May show negative for an animal which does have BSE.

BSE Surveillance in Europe

• Has also shown:
  • Clinical signs of BSE in non-ambulatory disabled cattle infected with BSE cannot always be differentiated from other conditions which may make the animal non-ambulatory disabled.

Non-ambulatory Disabled Cattle

• Cannot be slaughtered
• Applies to:
  • Federally-inspected plants
  • State-inspected plants
  • Custom-exempt plants
  • Imports
• Include:
  • Animals which became non-ambulatory disabled on the way to the slaughter plant.
  • Animals which became non-ambulatory disabled on the plant premises, such as when they are being unloaded from the truck. Non-ambulatory Disabled Cattle
• In rare cases:
  • A normal, healthy animal sustains acute injury on the way to the knock box. The FSIS veterinarian can allow the animal to proceed to post-mortem.

Cattle Prohibited from Slaughter

• Before January 12, 2004:
  • Dead (other than from slaughter)
  • Dying
  • Showing clinical signs of Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders
• Added on January 12, 2004:
  • Non-ambulatory disabled cattle
• All non-ambulatory disabled cattle presented for slaughter will be condemned.
  • They cannot be taken into the plant for slaughter or be conveyed to any part of the plant used for edible products.
• Plant must:
  • Humanely handle, euthanize, and remove them in a timely manner so that an insanitary condition does not arise.
• FSIS inspection personnel will verify that plant properly disposes of them.

Emergency Slaughter

• Cattle can no longer be slaughtered under the emergency slaughter provisions.
  • Includes ambulatory cattle, as well as non-ambulatory disabled.
  • Previously allowed under Code of Federal Regulations 311.27.

General FSIS Inspection Procedures

• FSIS veterinarian:
  • Conducts ante-mortem inspection on all abnormal cattle presented for slaughter.
  • Condemns all non-ambulatory disabled cattle.
  • Condemns all cattle showing CNS symptoms, even if animal is ambulatory.
• Non-ambulatory disabled cattle cannot enter plant.

Removal for Other than Slaughter

• Owner or plant can request that condemned cattle be set apart and held for treatment.
• If livestock are removed for reasons other than slaughter, owner or plant must obtain permission from the local, State, or Federal livestock sanitary official having jurisdiction.

Residue Issues

• Residue testing will continue as before on all cattle presented for slaughter.
• FSIS is concerned about the use of anti-inflammatory agents to assist animals in remaining ambulatory.
  • FSIS will continue special projects for these compounds and incorporate them into the enforcement program as soon as possible.

FSIS Guidance

• FSIS is continuing to issue notices and to provide answers to questions about non-ambulatory disabled cattle and other requirements published on January 12, 2004.
• We are attempting to answer all questions, whether at Teaching Workshops such as this, through the FSIS website, or through our Technical Service Center.