A suspect animal has tested negative for mad cow disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday.
For the second time this week, the USDA announced that an inconclusive test for mad cow disease ended up being negative after more exhaustive laboratory testing.
With this test result, the United States has not had a positive case of mad cow disease since Dec. 23, when the first domestic case was discovered.
“At approximately 2:45 EDT today, we were notified by the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, that the inconclusive screening test sample reported on June 29, tested negative for BSE upon confirmatory testing,” said USDA chief veterinarian John Clifford.
On June 1, the USDA significantly expanded its testing for mad cow disease. Last year, the federal government tested about 20,000 head of cattle, out of about 35 million slaughtered, for the disease.
With the more ambitious program, the USDA hopes that by the end of 2005 it will have tested at least 220,000 animals in an attempt to get a better understanding of the scope of infection in the United States.
