Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials confirmed Canada’s 15th case of BSE Nov. 17.
BSE was discovered in a seven-year-old dairy cow from British Columbia through the national BSE surveillance program. The animal’s birth farm has been identified and the investigation is underway.
No part of the animal’s carcass went into the food or feed system. CFIA officials are tracing the animal’s herdmates at the time of birth and examining possible sources of infection.
Dr. Connie Argue, CFIA’s animal health program manager for the western region, said the animal “exhibited symptoms consistent with BSE.”
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The cow was euthanized on the farm and samples sent to the provincial laboratory and then to the national laboratory in Lethbridge for confirmation, said Argue.
A final report on Canada’s 14th case of BSE discovered in a six-year-old beef cow in Alberta in August is not available yet.
Since the discovery of BSE in a northern Alberta beef cow in 2003, 10 of the cases were discovered in Alberta, four in B.C. and one in Manitoba.
Canada remains a controlled risk country for BSE, as recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health. The latest case is not expected to affect exports of Canadian cattle or beef.
In August, Mexico imposed a two-month ban on live cattle imports from Canada after the CFIA revealed the 14th case of BSE.
CFIA officials said the age and location of Canada’s 15th infected animal are consistent with previous cases.
The CFIA has blamed infected feed for most of the earlier cases confirmed in Canada.
