The number of animals found to be infected with BSE, so far this year has risen to 215, just 31 short of the total for the whole of last year.
The increase is being attributed to the hundreds of thousands of additional tests being carried out at knackeries where animals are taken for destruction and at meat plants where all animals over 30 months old must be tested for the disease before entering the foodchain.However, 19 of the cases found so far this year were detected in meat plants in animals over 30 months of age which were destined for the foodchain.