US says mad cow came from Canada

WASHINGTON - The United States Agriculture Department said yesterday that the Washington state dairy cow infected with mad cow disease had probably been imported from Canada, but Canadian authorities called the statement premature.

Ron DeHaven, the USDA's chief veterinarian, said the animal was probably one of a herd of 74 cows brought into Idaho from Alberta, Canada, in August 2001.

But in Ottawa, chief Canadian veterinarian Brian Evans said: "It would be premature to draw such a conclusion at this time ... As yet, there is no definitive evidence that confirms that the BSE-infected cow originated in Canada."

Last May, Canadian officials reported the discovery of a single case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), in a black angus cow in Alberta, but the USDA said it was too early to speculate on whether the two cases were related.

Last week's discovery of the first US case of the disease in a 6 1/2-year-old holstein cow has halted most US exports of beef, sent food company stocks tumbling and shaken consumer confidence.

About two dozen countries have banned US beef, seriously threatening the US$27 billion ($42 billion) cattle industry.

A USDA team of trade experts has arrived in Japan in a bid to allay concerns and restore beef shipments.

The department, which has quarantined two Washington herds, is investigating where the other 73 Canadian cows went.

DeHaven said the location of "most, if not all" of these animals should be known within a few days.

Evans said the US needed to carry out a full scientific probe.

"It is imperative that all the evidence be weighed and verified before anyone jumps to any predetermination," he said.

"There is still much investigative work to be done."

The US National Cattlemen's Beef Association said its trading partners should allow shipments to resume if the infected cow came from Canada.

The USDA said meat linked to the cow was sold in Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada.

"It's too early for us to know how much of it has been sold and ... whether it has in fact been consumed," said Kenneth Petersen, of the department's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Safeway, Fred Meyer and Albertsons stores have asked customers to return certain cases of beef patties and other products that originated at Vern's of Moses Lake Meats, which slaughtered the infected cow. The plant last week recalled more than 4500kg of mince.

An outbreak of mad cow disease in Europe in the 1990s forced the slaughter of millions of cattle.

Trail of a positive mad cow test

The holstein cow that tested positive as America's first case of mad cow disease:

Between 1997 and 1999: Born in Alberta, Canada.

August 2001: Enters United States in Eastport, Idaho, with 73 other cows. Delivered to a Mattawa, Washington, finishing company that feeds young cattle until mature.

October 2001: Sold to Sunny Dene Ranch in Mabton, Washington.

December 10: Slaughtered at Vern's Moses Lake Meats in Moses Lake, Washington. Carcass sent to Midway Meats in Centralia, Washington, for deboning. Meat cuts sent to two processing plants in the Portland, Oregon, area - Willamette Valley Meats and Interstate Meats - which ground the beef and sent some to retailers in Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada.

December 12: Testing samples from the cow arrive at US Department of Agriculture laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

December 23: Preliminary test results are positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as mad cow disease.

December 25: USDA recalls all meat processed at Vern's Moses Lake Meats on December 10.

December 26: Scientists in England confirm finding of mad cow disease.

- REUTERS