A continuing decline in the observed cases of BSE is reported in official tables. The following figures are given for the period to the end of September 1999. BSE Enforcement Bulletin 39, MAFF, October 1999. The dates refer to the year when the animal was first suspected of harbouring the disease, and the figures are for animals finally confirmed as having the disease.
Recent figures are still provisional.
There is also the possibility of serious under-reporting developing in the last few years, as there are substantial financial advantages attached to herds with no known cases. 34,905 farms have been affected. Forty seven deaths from vCJD have now been reported in the UK, plus one case in France and one in Ireland. On the basis of current referrals figures, there are no obvious signs of a dramatic increase or decrease in CJD cases. The figure is based on the unexpected rise in the number of cases of dementias and neurodegenerative disorders recorded during that period after more than a decade of declining numbers.