Mad cow disease remains a concern
Mad cow disease remains a concern
By MARVIN BAKER
EDITOR
Another mad cow has been confirmed in western Canada making it the 18th case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy found in three breeds there since May 2003.
Like most of the others, this 6-year-old cow was living on an Alberta ranch and died there. Upon examination, BSE was confirmed, but its coharts weren’t immediately segregated, according to Shae Dodson, a communications coordinator with R-CALF, a non-profit organization dedicated to the U.S. cattle industry.
What is unusual about this case is the Canadian government, more specifically the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, kept this information hidden from the public for a couple of weeks after BSE was confirmed.
In addition, because this cow was born after March 1, 1999, it was eligible for export to the United States and may not have been tested had it lived.
