- YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- Five
cows from the herd that contained a Holstein with mad cow disease have
been traced to a facility in central Washington, the US Department of Agriculture
said.
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- The finding brings to 19 the number of cows located from
the Canadian herd of 81 cattle that entered the United States in 2001,
the USDA said in a news release.
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- A sick Holstein from the herd was the first domestic
case of the disease.
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- Since the USDA announced on December 23 that the cow
tested positive for mad cow disease, formally called bovine spongiform
encephalopathy, more than 30 countries have banned US beef products.
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- The five cows were found at Connell, about 50 km north
of Pasco. One cow was earlier found at a dairy farm in Quincy; three were
at a dairy farm in Mattawa, and nine were traced to the Mabton farm where
the infected cow was sent to slaughter.
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- Authorities identified 129 cows at the Mabton farm to
be killed and tested. All were to have been euthanised by the end of today.
All 28 animals tested so far have come up negative for the disease.
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- Mad cow disease eats holes in the brains of cattle and
is incurable. It is a concern because humans can develop a brain-wasting
illness, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, from consuming contaminated
beef products.
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- Locating all the cows from the Canadian herd is key to
ensuring mad cow disease does not spread to humans. It also helps reduce
the number of cows that have to be destroyed as a precaution.
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- Copyright 2003 News Limited.
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- http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,8415706%255E1702,00.html
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