Second BSE case to be found on Alberta farm

Saturday, February 28, 2015

by JIM ALGIE

The Alberta, birth-farm of a cow recently diagnosed with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy was also the site of an earlier case of the neurological disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials said during a technical briefing, Friday.

As well, China has joined five other countries imposing trade restrictions on Canadian beef, reporters learned during a late-afternoon, conference call.

The investigation continues into the first case of BSE in Canada since 2011 and the only one in an animal born since 2007 when Canada imposed comprehensive feed limitations designed to prevent spread of the disease. Possible violation of the ban on animal protein meal in feed remains an area of inquiry, said Paul Mayers, the agency’s policy and programs vice-president.

“The focus of our feed investigation will include consideration on whether any non-compliance with respect to the feed ban many have contributed to the case,” Mayers said. An earlier case of BSE was discovered in an animal born in 2004 on the same farm, Mayers said. So far, there’s no link other than location between the two cases.

“The fact that this case was born on a farm involved in a previous case at this point is the only linkage between the two cases,” Mayers said. However, he added the coincidence of cases “will also be a key consideration for us in investigating.”

Meanwhile, the agency’s chief veterinarian has maintained close contact with the veterinary offices of key trading partners. Asked specifically about his contacts with officials in the United States, by far Canada’s largest beef export client, Dr. Harpreet Kochhar said the CFIA has been “working very diligently with our trading partners.”

He referred specifically to personal contacts by him with chief veterinary officers in the United States and Mexico and said they have not asked for “specific measures.”

“We are assured they will follow this investigation through,” Kochhar said. “There isn’t anything which they are seeking in terms of any specific measures and also we have kept them abreast of where our investigation is going and how the development will be,” he said.

“We are making sure they are in the loop in terms of a complete assessment of our investigation as it progresses,” Kochhar said.

Despite Canadian measures since recent discovery of the infected cow, China has now joined South Korea, Peru, Indonesia, Belarus and Taiwan in imposing BSE-related trade restrictions on Canadian beef. In 2014, trade with China represented about two per cent of the value of beef exports, about $40 million, officials said.

“Our feed investigation is very comprehensive,” Kochhar said of continuing CFIA work in the case. He referred specifically to key questions for investigators about “any feed which is old or which is not appropriate” or about feed “not meant to be fed to the ruminants” as well as the possibility of “cross contamination” of feed.

The 2007 feed ban was designed to eliminate the possibility that cattle would consume feed containing animal proteins known as prions, thought to cause BSE. The feed ban required removal of material thought to be at risk of prion contamination.

“We are also focussing on lines of inquiry which would say was there any residue of feed which was left over and that would be part of our investigation,” Kochhar said. BF