Recently concluded investigations into Canada’s 10th BSE case in a British Columbia Holstein cow suggest the infection may have come from contaminated feed consumed when it was a calf.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the diagnosis of BSE was confirmed May 2 in a downer cow destroyed after calving in April. The cow was born in November 2001 and lived its entire life on the same farm.
The carcass was destroyed and no parts entered the human food supply or animal feed chain.
The farm was a purebred Holstein operation with 156 cows. A total of 92 animals were traced and confirmed to have died or been slaughtered. Five were previously tested under the national surveillance program and all were negative. Another 23 animals were determined to be untraceable because of record limitations.
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Forty-one live animals remained on the farm under quarantine. They will calve out before humane destruction, testing and disposal.
The feed investigation showed the only direct exposure to a mixed commercial ration was the heifer ration. However, incidental exposure to a lactation ration, dry cow ration or mineralized salt block cannot be completely ruled out, said the agency.
The feed manufacturer used some banned materials from four different rendering companies, one of which supplied prohibited material to suppliers in previous BSE cases.
