BSE Confirmed in Canadian Cow
Canadian officials have confirmed a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a beef cow.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) released a statement late Thursday night the cow was from Alberta and that none of the carcass had entered the animal feed or human food supply.
CFIA is still investigating the age of the cow, history and how it was infected. Primary focus will be placed on the feed ingested by the animal during the first year of life. Other animals will also be traced back to see if there is any equivalent risk for BSE. Any similar animals will be destroyed and tested for BSE.
Currently, Canada is a "controlled BSE risk" country, according to the World Organization for Animal Health. Officials believe the case of BSE will not affect foreign trade.
It has been just over 11 years since "the cow that stole Christmas" was discovered in the United States. That cow similarly came from Alberta as it was born on a dairy and then shipped to Washington.