National BSE Surveillance Program overview

Overview

Canada has been implementing its national bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance program since 1992. The program aims to reveal any re-emergence of classical BSE in cattle. While the program does not aim to monitor for cases of atypical BSE, it is designed to catch these cases if they occur.

This program is 1 of the requirements to maintain Canada's negligible BSE risk status, recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) in May 2021 and has been updated in 2025 to align with WOAH's revised surveillance standards.

Veterinarians, cattle producers and deadstock collectors play a crucial role in this program. We don't expect to find new cases of classical BSE in Canada given all the actions in place to prevent it. However, the participation of these key stakeholders shows to the WOAH and trading partners that Canada is actively looking for and ready to find the disease if present. For cattle producers, this credibility is key for opening and maintaining trade, ensuring they can continue to sell their products to international markets.

Animals targeted

All "BSE surveillance candidates" need to be tested for BSE. A bovine is considered a "BSE surveillance candidate" when it meets all of the following 6 criteria:

Species: the animal is a bovine (Bos taurus and Bos indicus) or is the result of a cross with either of these 2 species
Origin: the bovine was born in Canada
Age: the bovine is 30 months old or older
Number of affected animals: the bovine is the only 1 affected in the herd
If multiple animals in the same herd are affected, they should not be considered BSE surveillance candidates. This is likely due to other causes, not BSE.
Clinical signs: the bovine is showing (or showed) at least 1 of these clinical signs:
- unexpected excitability and/or nervousness
- over-reactivity to stimuli
- excessive vocalisation
- excessive salivation and/or difficulty swallowing
- excessive teeth grinding
- excessive licking of the muzzle
- asymmetrical ear and eye movements
- uncoordinated gait
- difficulty avoiding obstacles
- abnormal pacing in circles
- low carriage of the head and/or head shyness
- tremors (involuntary quivering muscle movements)
- dullness combined with compulsive behaviors, such as pacing in circles or increased chewing and licking
- any other neurological sign(s)
Progression: the bovine is not improving over time, with or without treatment
If the bovine can stand and move without help and shows any of the signs, it does not need to be observed multiple times to see how the signs worsen

If the bovine can't stand or move without help, or is found dead, it needs to have been observed before with clinical signs at least once

The time between observations doesn't matter; for example, at an abattoir, an animal can show signs upon arrival and then become unable to stand and walk on its own within minutes or hours, and it still meets this criterion

Observing clinical signs

BSE prions slowly damage the brain of the affected bovine. It starts with mild signs that get worse over time and will advance to coma and death. The severity of these signs can vary between animals, and how well and often the animals are observed.

Along with changes in behaviour and neurological signs, cattle with classical or atypical BSE may show generalized signs such as:

reduced milk yield
loss of body condition
weight loss
changes to heartbeat rhythm

However, it is important to note that a bovine that does not show these signs can still be considered a BSE surveillance candidate.

When looking at clinical signs, compare cattle in the same group to see whether the signs listed are unusual or unexpected given the place, and the age and sex group. For example, a bull may appear more vocal and aggressive than other cattle in the same group at the abattoir, but this is explained by its sex and age, and should be considered expected behaviour, not a sign of BSE.

Tools available

Online questionnaire: bovine veterinarians, cattle producers and staff at the necropsy rooms and abattoirs can use this tool to verify if a bovine is a BSE surveillance candidate
If it is a BSE surveillance candidate, you will receive a unique identifier (UID) after you complete the clinical history. Then, you will need to submit a brain sample of the candidate for BSE testing. Online questionnaire
Invoicing: bovine veterinarians, cattle producers and deadstock collectors can submit invoices to the CFIA directly for services provided
This includes transporting BSE surveillance candidates to necropsy rooms, veterinary consultations and carcass pick-up. Get information on payments and how to submit an invoice

Stakeholder participation

Bovine veterinarians:
- use the online questionnaire during a farm visit or phone consultation to determine if a sick bovine is a BSE surveillance candidate and obtain a UID
- ensure the UID accompanies the brain sample, whether they submit it directly or the carcass is sent for necropsy or picked-up by deadstock collection services
Cattle producers:
- use the online questionnaire to determine if a sick bovine is a BSE surveillance candidate and obtain a UID
- if your veterinarian is not going to collect and submit the brain sample for BSE testing, they can either:
  - arrange transportation to a pathology floor for a necropsy (if a veterinary referral is not needed), or
  - arrange pick-up by a deadstock collector service
Necropsy rooms:
- use the online questionnaire to determine if a sick bovine is a BSE surveillance candidate and obtain a UID
  For bovines that were already pre-identified with a UID, the use of the online questionnaire is not needed.
- collect and refrigerate samples for BSE testing
- ensure samples are labeled with a UID and contact our district offices to request sample pick-up
Deadstock collectors:
- verify that the carcass to be collected is from a BSE surveillance candidate (that is, it already has a valid UID)
- notify our district offices when a pick-up of a BSE surveillance candidate is scheduled
- link the carcass to the UID to prevent confusion with other carcasses
- enable sample collection for BSE testing at our facilities
Abattoirs:
- train staff to:
  - identify bovines with neurological signs
  - use the online questionnaire to determine if the sick bovine is a BSE surveillance candidate and obtain a UID
  - collect the brain sample for BSE testing
  - contact us to request sample pick-up
- contact our district offices for brain sample collection if necessary

For more information on how to participate in the BSE surveillance program visit our quick reference guides:

Payments

Get information on what services can be paid and how to submit an invoice.

Submitting samples for BSE testing

Testing can only be done on the brain of a dead bovine. The brainstem, including the obex, is needed for testing.

Samples should be submitted fresh or frozen to the nearest laboratory participating in testing for BSE. Check the information on how to collect, package and submit a sample for BSE testing.

Laboratories conducting BSE testing

The following laboratories conduct BSE surveillance testing under the oversight of our National and WOAH Reference Laboratory for BSE (the Lethbridge Lab)^Footnote 1:

The following laboratories conduct BSE surveillance testing:

British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Food – Animal Health Centre^Footnote 2
1767 Angus Campbell Road
Abbotsford, British Columbia
V3G 2M3

CFIA National Centre for Animal Disease – Lethbridge Laboratory (NRL)
225090 Township Road 91
Lethbridge, Alberta
T1J 5R7

CFIA Ottawa Laboratory (Fallowfield)
3851 Fallowfield Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K2H 8P9

Samples received without a UID generated by the online questionnaire will not be processed. Check the information on how to label the sample and include the UID.

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