Mad Cow Disease Resurfaces In Canada

Canadian officials have confirmed another case of mad cow disease in Alberta but state that consumers are safe from any health risks.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed another case of mad cow disease in Alberta and emphasizes that no part of the carcass entered the human food or animal feed chains, the Canadian Press reports.

This is the 12th case since the dreaded disease was first discovered in Canada in 2003. it is also the second case of mad cow disease in two months.

The U. S. Department of Agriculture said the finding will have no impact on trade between the two countries. In 2003, the U. S. suspended cattle imports from Canada and the latter suffered greatly economically from this. Billions of dollars were lost to the Canadian industry before trade resumed as before.

The Ottawa-based CFIA said Tuesday that the disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, was discovered in a six-year-old dairy cow from the Edmonton area. The cow was detected under a national monitoring program that targets cattle most at risk for the disease.

The case will not affect Canada's "controlled risk" status, as recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health, the health agency said.

The animal was born after 1997, when a feed ban was put in place to prevent the spread of the disease. Use of cattle parts susceptible to bovine spongiform encephalopathy was prohibited in certain animal feeds.