Canada confirmed on Tuesday it had uncovered a new case of mad cow disease but said the animal in question, a beef cow from Alberta, had not entered the human or animal food systems. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the diseased cow, born after Canada tightened feed restrictions in 1997, was not linked to another instance of mad cow disease announced on Jan. 2 this year. The new case is Canada's third home-grown incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). "Based on preliminary information, feed produced prior to the introduction of the 1997 feed ban in Canada remains the most likely source of infection in this animal," the CFIA said in a statement. The announcement came as the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed signs it was looking to withdraw a plan to allow imports of young live cattle from Canada. Washington imposed a ban on cattle imports in May 2003 after Canada revealed its first case of mad cow disease. Canadian farmers estimate the ban may have cost them up to C$5 billion ($4 billion). A U.S. industry source said government officials in Washington believed the cow was infected during a grace period that allowed ranchers to use existing feed without violating the 1997 feed ban. Canada radically stepped up its testing of suspect animals after the May 2003 case and officials on both sides of the border have consistently predicted that a small number of infected animals would be found. ($1=$1.22 Canadian) --SP 0013 Local Time 2113 GMT
