Brazilian government is investigating suspected case of mad cow disease, says ministry.
News outlets reported that the suspected case involves an animal in the state of Pará.
(Reuters)- The Ministry of Agriculture said on Monday that there is a suspected case of mad cow disease in the country, without specifying where the allegedly infected animal is located.
In a statement, the ministry said that all measures are being taken and that the suspected case has been submitted to laboratory testing.
"The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) informs that regarding the suspected case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease), all measures are being taken by the government. The suspected case has already been submitted to laboratory analysis for confirmation or not, and, based on the result, the appropriate actions will be applied immediately," states the ministry's press release, without giving further details.
News outlets reported that the suspected case involves an animal in the state of Pará.
In 2021, China suspended beef purchases from Brazil for several months after the confirmation of two atypical cases – when the disease arises spontaneously in older animals, posing no risk to production, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) – of the disease in Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso. At the time, Saudi Arabia also suspended purchases for a period.
In the statement released this Monday, the ministry did not disclose the location or age of the animal suspected of being infected with the disease.
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