08/24/06 Canada`s 8th BSE case

Canada's 8th BSE case. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed another case of BSE. The latest case involves a mature beef cow in Alberta. Preliminary information indicates that the animal was between eight and 10 years old. Based on this range - the exposure of the BSE agent likely occurred either before the feed ban's introduction or during its early implementation. An official with the Canadian Cattlemen's Association doesn't expect any trade fall out as a result of this latest case. After all - Director of Government and International Relations John Masswohl says - finding a case of this type is not a surprise... MASSWOHL: You see cases born before the feed ban or in the early years of the feed ban, that's not really unexpected. You are going to keep seeing those animals so as long as that keeps happening with it, it really fits the pattern of what's expected and it fits the pattern also of what USDA has assumed is going to be the case so I guess the feedback that we've heard right away is that USDA has more or less believed that this fits the same pattern; that they are as comfortable with this as they need to be. This is the eighth case found in Canada since the first native case was confirmed in May of 2003. While not a welcome scenario - Masswohl says the number is not a cause for concern. He notes that updated international animal health standards put the emphasis on a country's control measures rather than on the number of cases. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. (FFT) Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.