Seven more cases of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) have been identified this week, according to the Department of Agriculture.
It brings the number of cases identified this year to 121, an improvement of nearly 50 on the same time last year and of almost 200 on 2002, when 313 cases had been reported by November.
Meanwhile, no evidence has yet been found to suggest there is a link between goats and BSE, the European Commission said in its assessment of a French study that suggested a possible risk.
During routine tests, French experts found a case of scrapie in a goat's brain. Scrapie is a brain disease from the same family as BSE.
But on further analysis, the disease was found to be a different strain to scrapie, raising fears that it might be BSE.France then sent the data to Brussels for further tests.
"(EU scientists) concluded that the data available on a suspected case of BSE in a goat was incomplete, preventing a definitive interpretation at this time," the Commission said.
"After evaluating the scientific evidence, the scientists recommended additional lines of investigation to be pursued," it said in a statement, adding that BSE had never - to date - been found in a goat under natural conditions.
Data from these investigations, including the results of tests conducted on mice since the goat was slaughtered in France in October 2002, would be ready within two months, it said.