Mad cow case found, but meat supply deemed safe

AP News
Posted: Apr 24, 2012 10:50 PM
Mad cow case found, but meat supply deemed safe

U.S. officials announced a case of mad cow disease in a dairy cow in California. It is only the fourth such case detected in the U.S. since the first case was identified in 2003.

Q: Is it safe to drink milk or eat beef?

A: Yes. The new case is a dairy cow, and officials say the disease can't be transmitted in milk.

Q: What is mad cow disease?


Q: How do cows get mad cow disease?

A: BSE is believed to be caused by disease-carrying proteins called prions, not viruses or bacteria. Animals can become infected when they eat BSE-tainted tissue. But scientists say the newly diagnosed California cow got the disease from a random genetic mutation, not from eating infected cattle feed.

Q: Can humans get mad cow disease?


Q: How was the latest case spotted?




USDA information: