A 10-year-old Santa Gertrudis cow from Alabama is the third positive BSE case for the United States.
A western blot confirmatory test conducted at the U.S. Department of Agriculture national laboratories in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the case March 13.
A private veterinarian euthanized and sampled the cow on the farm where it was later buried, said USDA chief veterinarian John Clifford.
The cow’s age was estimated from its teeth. It was born before the U.S. feed ban was implemented in 1997.
“The animal had only resided on the most recent farm in Alabama for less than a year,” Clifford told reporters.
Read Also
Farmers urged to be grain-safe this fall
Working around grain bins comes with risk, from farmers falling to drowning in grain: Experts have five tips to help avoid grain-related accidents this harvest.
USDA and Alabama animal health officials are locating offspring and animals born in the same herd within the same year as the infected animal. The food and drug administration is conducting a feed history.
The sample was sent to a private lab in Georgia for initial testing and came up inconclusive. It was subjected to an additional rapid test and the immunohistochemistry test conducted by Animal Plant Health Inspection Service scientists and the Western blot test, run by USDA scientists. A positive result from either test is considered confirmation.
After a case was misdiagnosed in November 2004, the USDA added the western blot test as an added measure to confirm future cases.
The U.S. has tested about 652,000 animals since increased surveillance started about two years ago. Canada has detected four cases since 2003 in its program.
“As testing increases, it shows up in more countries,” said Dennis Laycraft, executive vice-president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
“What is encouraging in North America is that our surveillance systems are active. With the number of cases going down around the world, there will be less paranoia,” he said.
Nevertheless, even a handful of cases closed all borders to trade for Canadian and U.S. beef although many countries are buying again.
The latest case could be another setback for the Americans as they continue negotiating with Japan. Trade opened briefly at the end of last year and was lost when veal containing some backbone was discovered in a shipment from New York to Japan.
“There will certainly be a hesitation among the Asians in regard to the U.S. cattle industry. The Japanese are being extremely cautious,” said Stan Eby, CCA president.
Hong Kong also suspended a Colorado-based Swift Beef company plant after a shipment was found to contain bone chips.
Canada is shipping about 20 tonnes of beef per week to Japan and has exercised added caution in preparing products for that market.
The Japanese stipulate that beef must be derived from cattle younger than 20 months of age, but it is difficult to find enough suitable Canadian animals in that age group.
