A suspected case of Mad Cow has been confirmed for the first time in a U.S. born cow. The 12-year-old cow was part of a Texas herd. The entire herd will now be examined as well as the manner in which the cows were fed and raised.
15% of the total U.S. cattle inventory comes from Texas.
MSNBC.com reports that
Agriculture officials claim the cow never entered the food supply.
The infected 12-year-old beef cow was born, raised and used for breeding at the same ranch and had never left the property, authorities said Thursday. They would not identify the ranch or the size of the herd.
Agriculture officials announced Wednesday the latest confirmed case of mad cow disease in the United States had been traced to the animal, which was a "downer" that could not walk. The cow arrived dead at a pet-food plant in Waco, Texas, in November and never entered the nation's human food supply.
You can find out more about Mad Cow here, here and here.
