Canada finds new case of mad cow disease

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - A new case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), known as mad cow disease, has been found in Canada, the fourth home-grown case since 2003.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials said today that a six-year-old cross-breed cow in the province of Alberta had been confirmed to have the disease.

The Holstein-Hereford cow's carcass did not enter either the human food chain or the animal feed chain, CFIA chief veterinarian Brian Evans said.

"Last evening the...laboratory for BSE located in Winnipeg confirmed the presence of BSE in a cross-bred cow born and raised in Alberta," he said.
"The animal was detected on the farm where it was born and no part of this animal entered the food for human consumption or feed for animal consumption purposes."

Evans said it is premature to say whether export markets would ban Canadian cows and beef as a result of the discovery, adding that there would be no scientific basis for barring shipments of Canadian beef from animals under 30 months of age.

Detecting sporadic cases of older cattle with traces of the brain-wasting disease is "normal", he said.

Tighter controls and testing after the first case of hoegrown BSE in Canada was discovered late in May 2003 are bringing the national herd toward eventual BSE-free status, Evans said.

- REUTERS