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Japan Confirms 30th Case of BSE

Japan's Agriculture Ministry confirmed Monday the country's 30th case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly called 'mad cow disease.'

The newest cow to test positive came, from a farm on the northern island of Hokkaido. The agriculture ministry says that "Meat, innards and other parts from the cow will be incinerated so that they will not be used as fodder or food for human beings."

Japan resumed U.S. beef imports in August after a ban based on mad cow fears. After the appearance of a case of mad cow in the U.S. in December 2003, Japan suspended the import of U.S. beef until lifting them last year, only to reinstate the ban a month later after a shipment of U.S. beef contained unapproved animal parts.

Mad cow first appeared in Japan in 2001. Japan is the only Asian country with confirmed BSE in its herds. Unlike the U.S., Japan tests all animals to be slaughtered for consumption for BSE.