Second Case of Mad Cow Disease Found in the United States

The second case of Mad Cow Disease in the United States has been confirmed:

The Agriculture Department said tests confirmed mad cow disease in a U.S. cow previously cleared of having the brain-wasting illness.

“The results confirm the presence of (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in this animal,” Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said at a Friday news conference.

The animal didn’t enter the food supply, Johanns said.

A brain sample from the cow was sent to England for further study because a third round of tests conducted two weeks ago came back positive.

The Agriculture Department said the suspected case, in a beef cow, had earlier tested negative for the disease. The government won’t say if the animal was born in the U.S.

Video of the News Conference is here.

The first case of Mad Cow occurred in December 2003.and resulted in sanctions against the American Beef Industry.