Mad cow disease found in second U.S. cow

WASHINGTON - 6/24/05 - The first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was discovered in the United States since stringent firewalls to protect the food supply were installed in 2003.

The cow was intercepted before reaching the food supply, a sign that the system is working, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The announcement was made Friday after test results were confirmed by an England laboratory when USDA test results were undetermined.

"I am encouraged that our interlocking safeguards are working exactly as intended," says USDA Secretary Mike Johanns.

The USDA is conducting an epidemiological investigation to determine the animal's herd of origin. The department does know the animal was born before the August 1997 ban preventing the use of mammalian protein in cattle feed.

The animal had been initially selected for testing because of its non-ambulatory state in November of 2004, rendering the animal unsuitable for slaughter and human consumption.

On Friday, the USDA installed a protocol for all BSE rapid screening results that give inconclusive findings be followed by an IHC and Western Blot confirmatory test. If results from either confirmatory test are positive, the sample will be considered positive for the disease.