BSE Discovered in Florida Cow

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has discovered a cow in Florida infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly known as mad cow disease, according to government officials. The news was first reported by Agri-Pulse. The infected Florida cow was not slaughtered for human consumption and no meat from the animal entered the human food supply, a source told Agri-Pulse. It’s the first detection of the deadly disease in the U.S. since July of last year, when BSE was found in a 11-year-old cow in Alabama. A USDA spokesman confirmed to Agri-Pulse that the Florida cow suffered the rare "atypical" type of BSE that is believed to develop randomly in cows. U.S. officials say the incidence of BSE in the United States is extremely low, and will remain so. The United States currently has a ‘Negligible BSE Risk’ status from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) – the lowest possible risk in the world.”...MORE