Canadian mad cow case was 5-year-old Holstein

OTTAWA — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed June 27 the case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy announced June 23 was a 5-year-old Holstein cow from British Columbia.

As previously noted, no part of the animal’s carcass entered the human food supply and no risk materials entered the animal feed system.

The animal’s age is consistent with previous Canadian cases, which range from 50 months to 192 months of age. It also indicates that this animal was exposed to a very low amount of infective material, probably during its first year of life.

The agency continues to investigate and gather additional information about the animal’s background, including tracing the animal’s herdmates at birth.

The CFIA will also undertake a comprehensive feed investigation to examine how this animal became infected.