MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

New case of mad cow confirmed in Canada

Canadian authorities confirmed Friday that a mature beef cow from the province of Alberta had mad-cow disease or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). This is the eighth case reported in Canada.

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), no part of the animal has entered the human or animal food chains.

The cow is estimated to be between 8 and 10 years old, making it highly likely that it was exposed to BSE before the feed ban was implemented. The age estimate was made by the owner and a private veterinarian.

The CFIA says the animal's age "is consistent with those of previous Canadian cases and exposure to a very low level of BSE infectivity."

Canadian authorities said BSE was identified in this cow as a result of an ongoing national BSE surveillance program. The program tests cows at higher risk of BSE. So far, more than 117,500 cows have been tested since 2003, says the CFIA.

Authorities are still trying to find out where the cow originally came from. This information will help confirm the cow's age, as well as checking out other cows, herd mates that originated from the same farm.

United States which was due to lift a ban on the imports of older Canadian cattle, has decided to wait until an ongoing Canadian investigation is concluded.