September 22, 2004

Another Mad Cow Case Discovered In Japan

A Holstein cow in western Japan has tested positive for mad cow disease.

If the cow in Nara prefecture (state) is confirmed to be infected, it will mark the 13th case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, in Japan.

Only preliminary tests have been conducted so far.

Japan confirmed its 12th case of mad cow last week after a 5-year-old dairy cow tested positive for the disease in southern Japan.

Japan was the first country to confirm mad cow disease outside of Europe, where it  had devastated cattle farms.

Under a comprehensive screening system put in place after the outbreak three years ago, Japan tests every animal that is killed before it enters the food supply.

Tokyo has also banned the use of meat-and-bone meal - made from ruminant animal parts - in cattle feed, which authorities believe led to the outbreak.

Nara prefecture is about 380 kilometres west of Tokyo.