The case was found in an approximately five-year-old or older beef cow at a slaughter plant, which reportedly never entered slaughter channels and at no time presented a risk to the food supply or to human health.
The USDA noted that, given the U.S.’ negligible risk status for BSE, it does not expect any trade impacts as a result of this finding.
The animal was tested as part of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s routine surveillance of cattle that are deemed unsuitable for slaughter and the animal’s RFID tag is associated with a herd in Tennessee.
Investigation by APHIS and officials in South Carolina and Tennessee is ongoing. This is the seventh detection of BSE in the U.S., with the first being in 2003.
