The agency immediately started a search for the farm where the infected cow came from even though no meat from the infected animal entered the food chain. It was the 13th case of mad cow disease reported in Canada and the third case in British Columbia in the last three years.
The disease, also called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), attacks the central nervous system of cattle and is transmitted to humans, who eat parts of the infected animal, in the form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
The CFIA has attempted to control the spread of BSE in the country by banning animal ingredients in animal feeds, which have been found to be the cause of infection.
