South Africa has instituted a ban on the importation of all ruminants and ruminant products from Canada after that country reported a case of Mad Cow disease in Alberta.
The Agriculture Department said on Friday while the affected cow’s herd had been quarantined and the affected animal had not entered the food chain, the ban was issued as a precautionary measure.
All import permits for cattle, goats, sheep and deer meat and other similar products from Canada have consequently been cancelled and importers have been informed that consignments en route to South Africa will not be accepted.
Mad cow disease, which is known scientifically as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE, first erupted in Britain in 1986, and is thought to have spread through cow feed made with protein and bone meal from mammals.
BSE has never been diagnosed in South Africa and notification of suspicious BSE cases is compulsory according to the Animal Diseases Act.
An official programme for BSE surveillance is in place and no beef or bovine products are imported from BSE positive countries. – Sapa