Officials Announce Mad Cow Case in Canada - NYT 5/20/03

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New York Times

 

Officials Announce Mad Cow Case in Canada

 

May 20, 2003

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

 

 

Filed at 1:52 p.m. ET

 

TORONTO (AP) -- A cow in Alberta was diagnosed with mad cow

disease, the first known case in Canada since 1997,

agriculture officials announced Tuesday.

 

 

The 8-year-old cow from a farm in northern Alberta was

diagnosed with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, in

routine testing after slaughter, Agriculture Minister Lyle

Vanclief told a news conference at the Alberta legislature

in Edmonton.

 

 

The carcass went to a rendering plant after slaughter.

 

 

 

``The animal did not go into the food chain,'' Vanclief

said, emphasizing the case involved one cow and that the

farm and herd it came from have been isolated for testing.

 

 

The 1997 case is the only other known example of the

disease in Canada.

 

 

That case resulted in a herd being destroyed with no

further spreading, Vanclief said.

 

 

``I am not happy to be here today for this reason,''

VanClief said.

 

 

He said the cow was slaughtered on Jan. 31. It was not

suspected to have BSE at the time, but subsequent tests in

Canada were unable to eliminate the possibility, the

minister said.

 

 

A subsequent test in England confirmed BSE, also known as

mad cow disease, on Tuesday, Vanclief said.

 

 

Authorities have quarantined the farm and will

``depopulate'' the herd it came from, along with any other

herds that come into question, he said.

 

 

In addition, the origin of the cow and how and where it was

processed will be traced as part of an investigation into

any possible spread of the disease, Vanclief said.

 

 

Alberta is Canada's main cattle province, with almost 40

percent of the industry.

 

 

The announcement triggered a temporary ban on exporting

Canadian beef until the situation is resolved, Vanclief

said.

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Canada-Mad-Cow.html?ex=1054455

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