The United States Department of Agriculture confirmed Tuesday that it found a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a dairy cow from central California.
This is the nation's fourth confirmed case of the ailment commonly known as mad cow disease.
John Clifford, the USDA's chief veterinary officer, said the animal was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so it at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health. Additionally, milk does not transmit BSE.
The USDA has begun contacting world agencies and trading partners but does not expect the finding to affect beef exports.
Earlier rumors sent live cattle futures plummeting on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange by as much as 3-cent-per-lb daily limit as a result of a mass sell-off, reports Reuters.
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