The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the entire carcass of the 50-month old dairy cow has been incinerated. However the age of the cow means it contracted the disease, also known as bovine spongiform ecephalopathy, after the 1997 ban on certain feeds suspected to be the cause of the disease.
The CFIA said it is crucial it trace other cattle born within the year of the infected animal's birth so the agency has invited American experts to assist in their investigation.
Canadian Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns in a report by CNN is quoted as saying, "While the United States and Canada have a strong system in place to protect animal and human health, the diagnosis of BSE in an animal born roughly four and half years after the implementation of the 1997 ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban does raise questions that must be answered."
"We need a thorough understanding of all the circumstances involved in this case to assure our consumers that Canada's regulatory system is effectively providing the utmost protections to consumers and livestock."
He said the age of the animal is the key and investigators will focus on it.
