May 12, 2005

Japan discovers another new case of mad cow disease

Yet another cow in Japan has tested positive for mad cow disease, making it the nation's 18th case of the fatal disease in an animal. The first human case was confirmed in February after a man with symptoms of the illness died.

Japan's Food Safety Commission has recently given way to pressure from Washington to relax the ban on US beef imports that has been in place since 2001. Officials will examine the safety of US beef imports before making a final decision.