USDA has reported the "red crossbred" cow in Alabama originally reported to be a Santa Gertrudis -- believed to be over 10 years old, is this country's third confirmed case of BSE. The animal was euphonized by a veterinarian after the animal became nonambulatory. Tissue samples were sent to USDA, and the animal was buried on-farm with no material entering the food or feed chains. The age was estimated by the vet based on dentition.
The age of the animal is significant because it means the cow was born before the 1997 feed ban. Locating the animal's birth farm will be difficult as the animal was on the farm where it died less than a year. USDA is recovering the carcass to check for identification and to confirm the animal's breed and age.
Fallout from the report was minimal with cattle markets gyrating slightly and media attention disappearing in less than 24 hours. Several reporters at a USDA briefing on the case asked USDA officials if this latest case would complicate on-going discussions with Japan about resuming beef trade, and USDA said it does not expect those talks to be affected.