Annual Report of the Scientific Network on BSE ‐TSE 2019

The EFSA Scientific Network on bovine spongiform encephalopathies and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (BSE‐TSE) held its 14th meeting on 14‐15 October 2019 in Parma. The meeting served as an opportunity to exchange scientific information on BSE‐TSE related issues among EU Member States, countries from the European Free Trade Association, EU candidate countries, EFSA, the European Commission and ad hoc participants. In this occasion, ad hoc representation included the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE). The topics discussed included: updates on the situation of Chronic Wasting Disease in Norway, Sweden and Finland; the implementation of national breeding programmes for resistance to classical scrapie in small ruminants; BSE‐related research projects; an update on the situation of camel prion disease in North Africa. Recent and ongoing EFSA, OIE and EC activities on TSE were presented, as well as the preliminary results of the 2018 EU TSE summary report. EU candidate countries presented their TSE‐related activities.