Mad Cow Case Confirmed

Image by P. Hellebrand

Beef cattle farmers in the United States are bracing for any potential impact on the beef market resulting from the detection of a case of "mad cow disease" (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in California. The case represents the first incidence of BSE in six years, and only the fourth confirmed case in U.S. history.

Major importers of U.S. beef (such as Mexico, Canada, and Japan) have reassured officials that they plan to continue purchasing American beef products. These assurances seem to have eased fears of a plunge in export sales similar to what occurred in 2003, when beef export revenue decreased by over $3 billion dollars.