Wageningen BioVeterinary researchers discovered a singular case of mad cow disease at a farm in the South of Holland (but there isn’t too much to worry about).
Piet Adema, Minister of Agriculture, announced that the disease was found in the cadaver of a cow on January 30, reports the NOS.
Fortunately, the disease hasn’t entered the food chain and doesn’t pose a threat to food safety. Phew! 😅
Where did the disease come from?
The poor cow developed an atypical form of mad cow disease that usually occurs when they’re older. Since the disease developed internally, there is no need to worry about contamination in your food.
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The news would be slightly more alarming if the cow developed a “classic” case, which is caused by eating contaminated animal feed, but thankfully, the situation is under control.
What is mad cow disease?
In humans, mad cow disease is a fatal brain disease that comes from eating the contaminated meat of a cow that’s been infected by it.
Usually, people die within one year of contracting the incurable illness.
What measures are being taken?
Adema says it was “a kind of ‘old-age BSE’” and that the 8-year-old cow has died of natural causes.
There are also 13 more animals that must be killed for preventative measures, including calves from the cow that contracted it.
To take extra precautions, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has blocked any cattle and manure from leaving the Dutch farm.
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