Canada blamed previous cases of BSE, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, on feed produced before Ottawa's 1997 ban on cattle feed that contained ingredients made from rendered cattle and other ruminants.

The animal in question was a six-year-old bull on a commercial beef farm in northern Alberta.

"The detection of this case does not change any of Canada's BSE risk parameters. The location and age of the animal are consistent with previous cases, and the BSE surveillance results to date, including this new case, still reflect an extremely low level of BSE in Canada," the CFIA said.

"In essence, the case confirms what was already known about an extremely low level of BSE infectivity having existed in Canada's feed system during the late 1990s and early 2000s," it added in a statement.

Canada aims to eliminate BSE from its herds within 10 years. The disease has caused major problems for beef and cattle exports to the large U.S. market.

Source: Reuters