BSE-cow imported from Canada, says US

Sunday, 28 December 2003 12:00 AM

The US Department of Agriculture claims a dairy cow infected with mad cow disease was imported from Canada in 2001.

The six-and-a-half -year old Holstein cow was one of 74 cattle imported into Idaho from Alberta, according to Ron DeHaven, the department's chief veterinarian.

Mr DeHaven said all 74 went to a dairy operation in Mattawa, Washington.

The department has already quarantined two Washington herds and is investigating where the other 73 dairy cows went.

The department says meat from the infected cow was sold in four western states - Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada.

But Canada's chief vetinarian says the claim is premature.

Dr Brian Evans said: "It would be premature to draw such a conclusion at this time.

"As yet, there is no definitive evidence that confirms that the BSE-infected cow originated in Canada."

Dr Evans said DNA testing was necessary to determine the identity of the cow.

The Canadian meat industry is still reeling from the discovery of a single case of mad cow disease or BSE in a black Angus cow in Alberta in May.

It lost $1 million in beef trade per day as countries cut off beef imports.

BSE, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, has been linked to new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), a human brain-wasting disease.

At least 137 people, mostly Britons, died after contracting the disease.

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