Beef from BSE Cow May Have Reached U.S.

During its trace back investigation of the identified bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) animal, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says cattle or meat from the same "birth cohort" of 141 animals of the animal might have reached the United States, Congress Daily reports.

The agency says the animal could have been slaughtered and turned into meat that was sent to the United States or been rendered into cattle feed before the United States and Canada banned the practice in 1997.

A Canadian spokesman say there's a "very low risk" that human could contract the disease although she could not say the chances were zero.

Congress Daily reports that the agency is focusing on the 141 animals born on the same farm within a year of its birth, Oct. 5, 1996. "Of those animals, 48 were beef cattle and 93 are dairy cattle, of which 55 were bull calves that most likely would have been slaughtered before they reached 24 months of age, the CFIA said. Canada has quarantined nine animals. The CFIA said an investigation has identified one animal probably exported to the United States," the article says.