September 19, 2006

Case of mad cow disease found in France

A cow in France has tested positive for mad cow disease, the country's fifth detected case this year, local authorities said.

The 12-year old dairy cow from the central-eastern Bourgogne region was put down in August after developing symptoms. The animal later tested positive for the disease.

The animal was probably infected by eating animal-based flour, before its use as cow feed was banned in 1996, local veterinary chief Dominique Chabanet said.

The cow's calves were also put down as a security measure, along with all animals born to the same herd in the same year.

Mad cow cases in France has been declining from a peak of 274 in 2001 to 31 last year.