Age Confirmed of Canadian Mad Cow
CANADA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed that the case of BSE announced on June 23, 2008, was a five-year-old Holstein cow from British Columbia. As previously noted, no part of the animal’s carcass entered the human food supply and no risk materials entered the animal feed system.
1 July 2008
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The animal’s age is consistent with previous Canadian cases, which range from 50 months to 192 months of age. It also indicates that this animal was exposed to a very low amount of infective material, probably during its first year of life. As the level of BSE continues to decline, the periodic detection of a small number of cases is fully expected and in line with the experiences of other countries.
The CFIA continues to investigate and gather additional information about the animal’s background, including tracing the animal’s herdmates at birth, as defined by international BSE response guidelines. The CFIA will also undertake a comprehensive feed investigation to examine how this animal became infected.
Canada is a Controlled Risk country for BSE, as recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health, and the detection of this animal does not affect Canada’s status. This status demonstrates the effectiveness of our surveillance, health protection and eradication efforts, and is not based on the number of BSE cases detected.
Canada’s rigorous BSE safeguards provide the highest levels of human and animal health protection as the disease is gradually eliminated from the national cattle herd.
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