BSE Surveillance and Sampling Services

On May 20, 2003, a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly called mad cow disease, was confirmed in an animal born and raised in Canada. On January 9, 2004, the Government of Canada announced it would increase BSE surveillance testing as part of the national BSE response strategy. The CFIA has increased the number of samples collected at the national level to a minimum of 8,000 in 2004, the CFIA has subsequently increased its surveillance to analyze a minimum of 30,000 samples in 2005 and aims to get to 60,000 samples in subsequent years. The CFIA therefore wishes to encourage, through offers of service contracts, the collection of samples in sufficient quantity to meet the objectives of the surveillance program for BSE.

Services required by the CFIA in implementing its surveillance program include those associated with carcass pick up, identification and traceability (record keeping) of selected carcasses, provision and maintenance of a suitable sampling facility and on site handling to present the appropriate samples to the CFIA, as well as those services related to the storage and segregation of carcasses pending determination of BSE status.