A mysterious "mad cow disease" or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) form has emerged in the United States.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the detection of the mad cow disease in South Carolina.
New 'Mad Cow Disease' Emerges in the US
A costumer checks the beef section of a supermarket in Curitiba, Brazil, on February 23, 2023. - As of February 23, 2023, Brazil temporarily suspended its beef exports to China, its main buyer, following the official health protocol after a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was confirmed by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Science Alert reports an atypical form of "mad cow disease" has reared its head in the country, according to the USDA in a beef processing plant in South Carolina.
While the discovery was at a beef processing plant, the Department of Agriculture clarified that the cow "never entered slaughter channels." And as such, the emergence of a new atypical BSE "presented a risk to the food supply or human health in the United States," the USDA assures.
In other words, the latest infection does not affect the food trade in the US and globally, allowing avid meat eaters to get their hands on beef without any hiccups. The fresh case poses no risk to humans too. As per ABC Australia, US health officials detected the disease in a five-year-old cow. It is worth noting that the BSE typically shows up in older aged cattle.
Reuters reports that the United States has encountered at least seven BSE cases, including the latest discovery in South Carolina. The most recent "Mad Cow Disease" detections are all atypical except for one.
However, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says the new atypical case does not "change the negligible risk status of the [US]." And because of this, the agency clarifies that it "should not lead to any trade issues."
What is 'Mad Cow Disease'
MANHATTAN, KS - AUGUST 12: Cindy Chard-Bergstrom left a Micro Biologist III at Kansas State University measures samples during a Check Test for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or Mad Cow disease on August 12, 2004 in Manhattan, Kansas.
According to Science Alert, the new atypical "Mad Cow Disease" variant occasionally infects older cattle. On the other hand, the other form of illness arises from the meat and bone meals of infected animals, which farmers feed their herds. Notably, the classic version of BSE is alarmingly more dangerous to humans.
The first-ever case out of the other six in the US, which saw the light of day decades ago, or in 2003, was a classical type, emerging from cows imported from Canada. The rest fell under the mysterious new form, referred to as atypical.
Besides the US, previous "Mad Cow Disease" cases spread in countries such as Canada and Japan. In other instances, it has also reached Europe and Israel, leading to a staggering food trade loss, costing the industry billions of dollars.
Earlier this year, a similar "Mad Cow Disease" case emerged in Brazil, forcing a trade suspension with China for a month.
Related Article: France Confirms Case Of Mad Cow Disease; First Isolated Case Since 2011
