A case of BSE, also known as mad cow disease, has been confirmed on a farm in Scotland.

Precautionary movement restrictions have been put in place at the farm in Aberdeenshire, while further investigations are carried out to identify the origin of the disease.

A statement from the Scottish Government has said this is standard procedure for a confirmed case of classical BSE, "which does not represent a threat to human health".

BSE is linked to the human disease CJD which is likely to be caused by consuming meat from a cow that had BSE.

Fergus Ewing, Scotland's Farming Minister, said: "Following confirmation of a case of classical BSE in Aberdeenshire, I have activated the Scottish government's response plan to protect our valuable farming industry, including establishing a precautionary movement ban being placed on the farm".

Scotland's Chief Veterinary Officer Sheila Voas added: "While it is too early to tell where the disease came from in this case, its detection is proof that our surveillance system is doing its job.

"We are working closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency to answer this question, and in the meantime, I would urge any farmer who has concerns to immediately seek veterinary advice."

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that may be passed to humans who have eaten infected flesh.

The infectious agent, although most highly concentrated in nervous tissue, can be found in virtually all tissues throughout the body, including blood.

When transmitted to humans, it is known as new Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD or nvCJD).

The UK's Animal Health Agency (APHA) is investigating the source of the outbreak.

A case of 'Atypical BSE' was confirmed in an 18-year-old cow here back in 2017.

It was identified through surveillance of 'fallen' animals, who died on a farm in Galway.

The animal tested positive on a screening, which was then subject to follow up confirmatory tests.