The U.S., now in the later stages of lifting its ban on Canadian cattle more than 30 months of age, may have to make changes to the proposed rule in response to Canada's most recent BSE case, say U.S. government and industry officials.

At the heart of the agency's concern is the age of the latest infected Canadian cow confirmed to be positive for the disease last week. It was just 50 months old, born more than four years after Canada implemented cattle feed restrictions that were supposed to control the spread of BSE. USDA sent one of its epidemiologists to Canada over the weekend to follow the country's investigation into its seventh native-born case of BSE. That is something USDA did not do after Canada reported its sixth case earlier this month, but that infected cow was 15 years old -- born well before Canada began its feed ban in 1997.
-- Clint Peck