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North America

Last Update: 5-Dec-2006

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in North America

To date, nine (9) Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) cases have been diagnosed in North America:

1993 - cow from United Kingdom (UK), killed in Canada
May 2003 - cow from Saskatchewan, Canada
December 2003 - cow killed in Washington State, from Alberta, Canada
January 2005 - two cows from Alberta, Canada
January 2006 - cow from Alberta, Canada
March 2006 - cow in Alabana, US
July 2006 - cow in Alberta, Canada

Case 1: In 1993, one of the monitored UK cattle tested positive for BSE in Alberta, and was diverted from the human food and animal feed systems. As a result of this case, Canada depopulated their remaining UK cattle.

Case 2: On May 20, 2003, Canada confirmed BSE in an Angus cow born in northern Saskatchewan in March 1997. The animal did not enter the human food chain; the remains entered the feed system through a rendering facility in Alberta. The herd of origin and other animals of interest were slaughtered: more than 2,700 cattle were culled and over 2,000 tested negative for BSE in this investigation.

Case 3: On December 25, 2003, the USDA confirmed BSE in a Holstein cow slaughtered in Washington State. The cow was born in April 1997 in Alberta, and entered the US in 2001 as part of a shipment of 81 animals. Over 255 cattle were depopulated from 10 premises in this investigation; all tested negative for BSE.

Case 4: On January 2, 2005, BSE was confirmed in a Holstein cow born in Alberta in October 1996. No part of the cow entered the human or animal food chain. Over 130 animals were traced; those located alive were culled and tested negative for BSE.

Case 5: On January 11, 2005, BSE was confirmed in a Charolais cow born in Alberta in March 1998. No part of the animal entered the human or animal food chain. Over 350 animals were investigated, and 41 were culled and tested negative for BSE.

Case 6: On June 24, 2005, BSE was confirmed in a 12-year-old Brahma-cross cow born in Texas. No part of this animal entered the human or animal food chain. Over 200 cattle were investigated.

Case 7: On January 23, 2006, BSE was confirmed in a six-year-old crossbred cow with signs of BSE in Alberta. No part of the animal entered the human or animal food chain. A total of 156 cattle were investigated and no additional cases of BSE were detected.

Case 8: On March 13, 2006, BSE was confirmed in a crossbred beef cow in Alabama, US. An epidemiological investigation is ongoing to identify the herd of origin and other cattle of interest

Case 9: On July 13, 2006, BSE was confirmed in a 50-month-old dairy cow from Alberta. CFIA has located the birth farm, and investigators are tracing other cattle born on the premises within 12 months before or after the birth of the affected animal.

Source: California Department of Food & Agriculture
California Dairy Review, March 2006
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/dairy/pdf/cdr/2006/cdrmarch2006.pdf
Also
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/ah/pdfs/BSE_North_America_Summary_0206.pdf
July 13, 2006 - http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/newcom/2006/20060713e.shtml