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

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 Brazil, i.e. the likelihood of the presence of one or more cattle being infected with BSE, pre-clinically as well as clinically, in Brazil. This scientific report addresses the GBR of Brazil as assessed in 2005 based on data covering the period 1980-2003. A very unstable system between 1980 and 2000 was exposed to a negligible external challenge until 1990, to a low external challenge between 1991 and 1995 and to a negligible external challenge between 1996 and 2000. In 2001 the stability of the system improved to an unstable system exposed to a negligible external challenge for the latest period. Given the level of the external challenge, it is highly unlikely that an internal challenge occurred until 1990. However, the internal challenge became unlikely but cannot be excluded from 1991 onwards, mainly due to cattle imported from BSE-risk countries in 1991-1995. EFSA concludes that the current GBR level of BRAZIL is II, i.e. it is unlikely but can not be excluded that domestic cattle are (clinically or pre-clinically) infected with the BSE-agent. If the stability of the system in Brazil remains as low as it is, significant external challenges could lead to an increase in the GBR of the country.