News Release

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The United States has placed Canada under its bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) restriction guidelines and will not accept any ruminants or ruminant products from Canada pending further investigation, Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman stated today.

That action came after Canadian agriculture officials reported today that a single cow in Fairview, Alberta has tested positive for BSE. The animal, which was killed in January, "did not go into the food chain," Canadian Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief told reporters this morning during a news conference in Edmonton. The diagnosis of the single cow was verified by a laboratory in Britain.

In response to this finding, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has already quarantined a farm, and, according to Vanclief, will cull the herd at that farm. Canadian officials are continuing to investigate questions regarding the cow's origin, how its remains were processed. Vanclief emphasized this morning that Canadian BSE prevention regulations already stipulate that no cattle remains can be used in cattle feed.

Veneman stated today that she has spoken to Canada's Vanclief and believes that "all appropriate measures are being taken in what appears to be an isolated case (of BSE). Information suggests that risk to human health and the possibility of transmission to animals in the United States is very low, Veneman said.

"USDA is placing Canada under its BSE restriction guidelines and will not accept any ruminants or ruminant products from Canada pending further investigation," Veneman stated. "We are dispatching a technical team to Canada to assist in the investigation and will provide more detailed information as it becomes available."

Florida Farm Bureau Federation will closely follow this matter and update information as it becomes available.

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state's largest general-interest agricultural association with more than 150,000 member-families statewide. There are Farm Bureaus in 62 counties in Florida, where agriculture comprises a stable, vital leg of Florida's economy, rivaling the tourism industry in economic importance. Headquartered in Gainesville, the Federation is an independent, non-profit agricultural organization and is not associated with any arm of the government. More information is available on the organization’s website, http://FloridaFarmBureau.org.

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