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emailBSE Enhanced Surveillance Program
Canada implemented a national bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance program in 1992. In 2003, the Government announced that the number of annual BSE samples tested through this program would be increased. The level and design of BSE testing in Canada has always been, and continues to be, in full accordance with the guidelines recommended by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
Surveillance is one of many BSE-related actions Canada has implemented to manage BSE. The program tests a sample of animals from the national cattle herd and focuses on higher-risk animals that are most likely to be affected by the disease. The surveillance program's objectives are to determine and monitor the level of BSE present in Canada and to confirm the effectiveness of the suite of measures Canada has implemented to protect human and animal health from the disease.
The following tables charts the progress of Canada's surveillance program. You can click on the various table headings for information about each category. As well, you can visit the following links for information about testing methods, testing levels , sample collection and submitting samples.
Sample Status and Testing Results
Updated monthly. Last updated 2008-12-11
2008
| Month | Samples Collected | Samples Pending | Negative | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6227 | 0 | 6227 | 0 |
| February | 5587 | 0 | 5586 | 1 |
| March | 5747 | 0 | 5747 | 0 |
| April | 6713 | 0 | 6713 | 0 |
| May | 5726 | 0 | 5726 | 0 |
| June | 3908 | 0 | 3907 | 1 |
| July | 2593 | 0 | 2593 | 0 |
| August | 1966 | 0 | 1965 | 1 |
| September | 2244 | 0 | 2244 | 0 |
| October | 2500 | 0 | 2500 | 0 |
| November | 2669 | 0 | 2668 | 1 |
| Year to date | 45880 | 0 | 45876 | 4 |
2007
| Month | Samples Collected | Samples Pending | Negative | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5449 | 0 | 5449 | 0 |
| February | 6108 | 0 | 6107 | 1 |
| March | 7096 | 0 | 7096 | 0 |
| April | 7162 | 0 | 7161 | 1 |
| May | 6343 | 0 | 6343 | 0 |
| June | 3969 | 0 | 3969 | 0 |
| July | 2912 | 0 | 2912 | 0 |
| August | 2946 | 0 | 2946 | 0 |
| September | 2601 | 0 | 2601 | 0 |
| October | 3509 | 0 | 3509 | 0 |
| November | 5158 | 0 | 5158 | 0 |
| December | 4924 | 0 | 4923 | 1 |
| Year to date | 58177 | 0 | 58174 | 3 |
2006
| Month | Samples Collected | Samples Pending | Negative | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5287 | 0 | 5286 | 1 |
| February | 4877 | 0 | 4877 | 0 |
| March | 6763 | 0 | 6763 | 0 |
| April | 6131 | 0 | 6130 | 1 |
| May | 5117 | 0 | 5117 | 0 |
| June | 4405 | 0 | 4405 | 0 |
| July | 2469 | 0 | 2467 | 2 |
| August | 2408 | 0 | 2407 | 1 |
| September | 3388 | 0 | 3388 | 0 |
| October | 3243 | 0 | 3243 | 0 |
| November | 5563 | 0 | 5563 | 0 |
| December | 5769 | 0 | 5769 | 0 |
| Year to date | 55420 | 0 | 55415 | 5 |
2005
| Month | Samples Collected | Samples Pending | Negative | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5194 | 0 | 5192 | 2 |
| February | 4990 | 0 | 4990 | 0 |
| March | 5673 | 0 | 5673 | 0 |
| April | 7026 | 0 | 7026 | 0 |
| May | 6000 | 0 | 6000 | 0 |
| June | 5220 | 0 | 5220 | 0 |
| July | 3288 | 0 | 3288 | 0 |
| August | 2627 | 0 | 2627 | 0 |
| September | 3098 | 0 | 3098 | 0 |
| October | 3260 | 0 | 3260 | 0 |
| November | 5647 | 0 | 5647 | 0 |
| December | 5745 | 0 | 5745 | 0 |
| Year to date | 57768 | 0 | 57766 | 2 |
2004
| Month | Samples Collected | Samples Pending | Negative | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 386 | 0 | 386 | 0 |
| February | 550 | 0 | 550 | 0 |
| March | 797 | 0 | 797 | 0 |
| April | 877 | 0 | 877 | 0 |
| May | 486 | 0 | 486 | 0 |
| June | 1305 | 0 | 1305 | 0 |
| July | 602 | 0 | 602 | 0 |
| August | 594 | 0 | 594 | 0 |
| September | 879 | 0 | 879 | 0 |
| October | 3125 | 0 | 3125 | 0 |
| November | 6861 | 0 | 6861 | 0 |
| December | 7088 | 0 | 7088 | 0 |
| Year to date | 23550 | 0 | 23550 | 0 |
"Samples collected" indicates the number of samples submitted or being
submitted to provincial or federal laboratories. Each sample represents one animal.
Monthly values represent only the number of samples obtained in that month. "Year to
date" values represent cumulative samples. This information is updated weekly.
Pending samples are those for which final results are unavailable. This may be because they have yet to be tested, or testing is ongoing.
Monthly values represent only the number of samples pending in that month. "Year to date" values represent cumulative pending samples. This information is updated weekly.
Negative samples have been determined negative based on screening results or confirmatory testing.
Monthly values represent only the number of samples testing negative in that month. "Year to date" values represent cumulative negative samples. This information is updated weekly, each Wednesday.
Positive samples are those that have been confirmed as positive by immunohistochemistry (IHC), or in the case of poor quality samples and IHC negative suspect tests, the SAP immunoblot, both internationally recognized confirmatory tests for BSE.
Monthly values represent only the number of samples testing positive in that month. "Year to date" values represent cumulative positive samples. Positive results are reported upon confirmation.
