The Korean government immediately suspended beef imports from Ireland after a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was confirmed in the country. Officials said the risk is limited as this is an atypical case with no human infection, but they took preemptive action in accordance with quarantine standards.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on January 13 that it confirmed the occurrence of atypical BSE in Ireland and suspended import inspections for Irish beef effective the same day.
BSE is a neurological disease that causes brain tissue in cattle to become sponge-like, caused by abnormal proteins called prions. It is commonly known as "mad cow disease" because affected cattle exhibit abnormal behavior and walking difficulties as their brain tissue develops holes.
BSE is classified as typical or atypical depending on its cause. Typical BSE spread through contaminated feed in the past and has been internationally managed due to concerns about potential human infection. In contrast, atypical BSE occurs very rarely and naturally in older cattle, has low transmissibility, and no human infection cases have been reported to date.
This case was identified through Ireland's surveillance program. Testing at the country's Central Veterinary Research Laboratory confirmed atypical BSE in a 9-year-old cow, and the animal was immediately disposed of and did not enter the food supply chain.
The government has requested additional information from Irish authorities along with the import suspension. It plans to review whether to resume imports based on the information provided.
The domestic impact is expected to be limited. Last year, beef imports from Ireland totaled 358 tons, accounting for only 0.08 percent of total beef imports of 473,000 tons. There is also no Irish beef currently awaiting quarantine inspection in Korea.
"Although the risk to humans is low as this is an atypical case, we took immediate action in accordance with quarantine standards," a government official said. "If safety is verified through additional information, we will consider lifting the measures in stages."
