Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) caused one of the most significant cattle welfare crises of the 20th century. While the epidemic has largely been controlled, the welfare implications of neurological prion disease surveillance and the legacy of mass slaughter policies continue to inform cattle welfare policy.
Cattle developing clinical BSE experience progressive neurological suffering: early signs include apprehension and altered behaviour, progressing to severe ataxia, inability to stand, and hypersensitivity to stimuli in terminal stages. The 1990s mass culling of potentially exposed cattle involved slaughter of millions of animals, many showing no clinical signs, raising welfare questions about methods used under emergency conditions. Current surveillance protocols require prompt euthanasia of suspected cases to prevent prolonged suffering. The BSE crisis fundamentally changed UK cattle welfare policy, establishing that feed safety, age-at-slaughter records, and disease surveillance are welfare infrastructure as much as health measures.