New ‘Mad Cow Disease’ Emerges in the US: Found in a Beef Processing Plant?

A mysterious "mad cow disease" or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) form has emerged in the United States.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the detection of the mad cow disease in South Carolina.

New 'Mad Cow Disease' Emerges in the US

Science Alert reports an atypical form of "mad cow disease" has reared its head in the country, according to the USDA in a beef processing plant in South Carolina.

While the discovery was at a beef processing plant, the Department of Agriculture clarified that the cow "never entered slaughter channels." And as such, the emergence of a new atypical BSE "presented a risk to the food supply or human health in the United States," the USDA assures.

In other words, the latest infection does not affect the food trade in the US and globally, allowing avid meat eaters to get their hands on beef without any hiccups. The fresh case poses no risk to humans too. As per ABC Australia, US health officials detected the disease in a five-year-old cow. It is worth noting that the BSE typically shows up in older aged cattle.

Reuters reports that the United States has encountered at least seven BSE cases, including the latest discovery in South Carolina. The most recent "Mad Cow Disease" detections are all atypical except for one.

However, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says the new atypical case does not "change the negligible risk status of the [US]." And because of this, the agency clarifies that it "should not lead to any trade issues."

What is 'Mad Cow Disease'

According to Science Alert, the new atypical "Mad Cow Disease" variant occasionally infects older cattle. On the other hand, the other form of illness arises from the meat and bone meals of infected animals, which farmers feed their herds. Notably, the classic version of BSE is alarmingly more dangerous to humans.

The first-ever case out of the other six in the US, which saw the light of day decades ago, or in 2003, was a classical type, emerging from cows imported from Canada. The rest fell under the mysterious new form, referred to as atypical.

Besides the US, previous "Mad Cow Disease" cases spread in countries such as Canada and Japan. In other instances, it has also reached Europe and Israel, leading to a staggering food trade loss, costing the industry billions of dollars.

Earlier this year, a similar "Mad Cow Disease" case emerged in Brazil, forcing a trade suspension with China for a month.