Officials confirm case of mad cow

? A cow from an Alberta farm has tested positive for mad cow disease, officials said Monday, raising fears for a beef industry still struggling to recover from a U.S. decision in 2003 to ban cattle imports.

Dr. Brian Evans, Canada’s chief veterinary officer, said the disease was found in a 6-year-old animal that did not enter the human food or animal-feed systems.

The positive test could be a blow to Canadian ranchers who were hard hit after the United States banned Canadian cattle imports in May 2003 following the country’s first case of mad cow disease. The U.S. border reopened in July to Canadian cattle younger than 30 months.

U.S. officials said the latest case will not prompt a similar ban on Canadian beef imports.

“I am confident in the safety of beef and in the safeguards we and our approved beef trading partners have in place to protect our food supply,” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said.