Gov't Confirms Mad Cow Case In Alabama
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Agriculture Department confirmed Monday the third case of mad cow in the U.S.
The department's top veterinarian said a preliminary test detected the infection in the Alabama beef cow last week. Veterinarian John Clifford said more detailed testing at a government lab in Iowa confirmed the findings.
Clifford said the animal never entered the food supply. He said it appears to have been at least 10 years old.
The first U.S. case of the disease was in a Canadian-born cow in Washington state in December 2003. The second case was a Texas-born cow detected last June.
The department is investigating where the Alabama cow was born and raised.
