OTTAWA – The Canadian government confirmed a case of mad cow disease in a six-year-old beef cow on Friday. It was the 14^th instance of the disease in Canada since 2003.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reportedly said that there was no risk to public health because no part of the animal entered the food system.

The agency told the press it is tracing other cattle in the herd and trying to determine how the cow became infected. The new case should not affect exports of Canadian cattle or beef, the agency said.

Mad cow disease, medically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) causes spongy holes in the brain. It has been linked to a human form of the disease called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

The agency reportedly said a ban on using animal materials in feed products has virtually eliminated the spread of BSE in Canada, but it said a small number of cases are still expected to surface.

Source: Associated Press