CFIA TRACES BSE LINKS FROM JAPAN
October 26, 2001
Western Producer
Ian Bell & Barbara Duckworth http://www.producer.com/articles/20011025/news/20011025news01.html
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has, according to this story, quarantined 11 Alberta cattle while it
investigates whether they pose a health risk toC anada's herds. The quarantined cattle are purebred Wagyu
imported from Japan. They arrived in Canada in 1997 or 1998 via the United States. Claude Lavigne, an
agency associate executive director, was quoted as saying, "There is no breed of cattle that is immune to
this disease. We want to take all precautions possible to make sure we don't import this disease into
Canada." Wagyus are a specialty beef breed known to produce highly marbled meat. Because they are
purebreds, traceback has been relatively easy. Canada has contacted the Japanese to learn whether these
animals were ever fed meat and bone meal. Protein meal derived from infected carcasses is believed to
cause BSE, a brain wasting disease.F ourteen Wagyu cattle were imported by an unidentified Alberta owner
in the' 90s.Three were slaughtered sometime before the agency's investigation. Offspring of the imported
cattle are not viewed as a threat in terms of becoming infected with BSE and spreading it to other cattle.
Lavigne uring a review of its import records, the agency learned that other cattle from Japan may also have
been imported into Canada, adding, "We have information that leads us to believe there may have been
others in Ontario and other provinces." However, the story says, details remained sketchy as of Oct. 22 and
Lavigne could not estimate how many other Japanese cattle may be in Canada. He believes thea nimals are
between four and five years of age.