BSE Cases Identified in Canadian-born Cattle

Update: February 12, 2015 a New Case of BSE Detected in Canada
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced the confirmation of another bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a beef cow from Alberta born in March 2009. See the CFIA notice.

As of July 2017, 20 BSE cases in Canadian-born cattle have been identified, 18 in Canada and 1 in the U.S. Of these 20 cases, 14 were known to have been born after the implementation of the 1997 Canadian feed ban; 13 of these 14 were born after March 1, 1999. (See BSE Cases in North America, by Year and Country of Death, 1993-02/2015). This latter date is particularly relevant to the U.S. because since a USDA rule went into effect on November 19, 2007, Canadian cattle born on or after March 1, 1999 have been legally imported into this country for any use.

One of the 20 Canadian-born BSE cases was reported in an animal that was most likely born before or possibly very shortly after implementation of the 1997 feed ban.

Based on the known or most likely year of birth, an average of 1.4 cases of BSE occurred among the group of animals born each year in Canada from 1991 through 2004. The highest reported number of cases by birth year in a single year, 3 BSE cases, occurred in 2000, 2001 and 2002. The most recently reported case extends the period of BSE transmission in Canada through at least the early half of 2009.