Cow dies of mad-cow disease in the Netherlands

Cow dies of mad-cow disease in the Netherlands

2011-01-12 22:32:20 GMT+7 (ICT)

THE HAGUE (BNO NEWS) -- A 14-year-old cow which died in the Netherlands late last year has been found to have been infected with BSE, which is commonly known as mad-cow disease, according to the country's Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation on Wednesday.

The newly revealed case is the third case of BSE in the Netherlands since May 2008. The first case was reported on September 3, 2010 when a cow was diagnosed with BSE at a farm in Tilburg, near the border with Belgium. Another cow was diagnosed with BSE a month later.

The ministry on Wednesday said the new case was discovered when a 14-year-old cow was delivered to Rendac, a cattle destruction company. "This cow died at the farm," the ministry said in a statement, without revealing where the farm is located.

"We can expect to see several more BSE-cases during the next few years," the ministry said. This is because a number of cows are still alive from before a European Union feed ban went into effect on January 1, 2001. That ban prohibits certain animal products from being fed to cows, which can lead to BSE being spread among cows.

The Netherlands tested around 405,000 cattle in 2009, while around 7.5 million cattle were tested throughout the European Union. A total of 67 BSE cases were found, all of which were outside of the Netherlands.

The ministry said there is no need to take action because cows cannot infect each other with BSE. "But, as usual, the animals who were born on the same farm around the same time as the infected animal or ate the same food will be examined, as well as their offspring."

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