OTTAWA, June 24 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada has surpassed its testing target

established for 2005 for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance.

The target for this year was 30,000 cattle and, as of June 17, there have been

32,363 samples collected and tested through the provincial and federal

laboratory network in Canada.

            The level and design of BSE testing in Canada is in full accordance with

the guidelines recommended by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

The samples collected target the highest risk cattle within the national herd.

This includes all animals over 30 months of age that are dead, down, dying or

diseased, and clinical suspects of any age. This targeted surveillance program

is crucial to defining the level of BSE in Canada and to confirming the

effectiveness of the suite of measures in place to protect human and animal

health from the disease. Based on the intensity and sensitivity of the testing

program and the information collected in Canada's BSE investigations, the

evidence continues to demonstrate that the prevalence of BSE in Canada is

extremely low and continuing to decline.

            "Surpassing this surveillance target at the mid-year point illustrates

the effectiveness of the national BSE surveillance program and the high level

of commitment from Canadian producers to finding the disease," said Minister

of Agriculture and Agri-Food Andy Mitchell.

            In 2004, a BSE Surveillance Reimbursement Program was implemented that

provides payments to producers for their services when eligible samples are

submitted to the national program. These payments assist producers in covering

a portion of the veterinary examination fees and carcass disposal costs. Many

provinces have also demonstrated their commitment by providing additional

support to the reimbursement program through increased laboratory capacity,

education and awareness campaigns, sampling assistance and financial

supplements to the federal payments. This collective effort is critical to a

successful national surveillance program and to the continued demonstration of

vigilance in animal and public health and food safety in Canada.