May 2, 2006

 

Canada says 23 cattle could have consumed same feed as BSE cow

 

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has identified 23 live cattle potentially exposed to the same feed as an affected animal that was confirmed as having bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, on Apr 16, a release from the CFIA said late Friday (Apr 28).

 

These animals have been quarantined and will be tested.

 

The CFIA said that investigators continue to trace other animals from the feed cohort. To date, a number of animals from this group are known to have been exported to the US.

 

Exported animals were also identified during investigations conducted in 2003 and 2005, which is not surprising, considering the regular cross-border movement of cattle prior to the first detection of BSE in this part of the world, the release said.

 

As was done during previous investigations, Canadian and US authorities are collaborating to trace these animals, the release said.

 

Finding additional cases of BSE in a feed cohort is unlikely, the CFIA said. Nonetheless, efforts to locate all animals from this group will be carried out to the fullest extent possible, release said.

 

Consistent with international BSE guidelines, the affected animal's two most recently born offspring are of interest to this investigation. One of these calves is known to have died. The disposition of the other calf remains under investigation, the CFIA said.

 

As part of the feed investigation, the CFIA is examining opportunities for contamination that may have been present during the manufacture, transportation and storage of feeds and feed ingredients, the release said.

 

Testing at the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg confirmed BSE in a cow from British Columbia on Apr 16.

 

This finding does not affect the safety of Canadian beef, the CFIA said. Tissues in which BSE is known to concentrate in infected animals are removed from all cattle slaughtered in Canada for domestic and international human consumption. No part of this animal entered the human food or animal feed systems, the government said.

 

Preliminary investigations conducted prior to receiving final results identified the animal's exact date of birth and birth farm--two critical elements required to trace other animals of interest, as defined by the World Organization for Animal Health. With the confirmed positive results and this information already in hand, the CFIA undertook the animal component of its investigation on a priority basis, the government said.

 

This animal, a six-year-old dairy cow, developed BSE after the implementation of Canada's feed ban in 1997, the release said.