Scientific Report of the European Food Safety Authority on the Assessment of the Geographical BSE-Risk (GBR) of BOTSWANA

The European Food Safety Authority and its Scientific Expert Working Group on the Assessment of the Geographical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Risk (GBR) were asked by the European Commission (EC) to provide an up-to-date scientific report on the GBR in Botswana, i.e. the likelihood of the presence of one or more cattle being infected with BSE, pre-clinically as well as clinically, in Botswana. This Scientific Report addresses the GBR of Botswana as assessed in 2004 based on data covering the period 1980 - 2003. Cattle imported from the Republic of South Africa (RSA) which could have been rendered, represented a very low external challenge in the nineties and MBM imports from RSA led to a very low external challenge in first half of the nineties, to a moderate external challenge in 1996 - 2001 and to a very low external challenge in 2001 - 2003. Summarizing the external challenge the cattle system of Botswana was exposed to a negligible external challenge between 1980 and 1990, to a low external challenge in 1991 - 1995, to a moderate external challenge in 1996 – 2000 and to a very low external challenge in 2001 – 2003. As the cattle system was neutrally stable between 1980 and 1998, stable between 1999 and 2002 and very stable in 2003, it is unlikely but can not be excluded that the external challenge led to an internal challenge since mid of the nineties. EFSA concludes that the current GBR level of BOTSWANA is II, i.e. it is unlikely but can not be excluded that domestic cattle are (clinically or pre-clinically) infected with the BSEagent. As long as the system remains very stable, it is expected that the GBR decreases over time.