Canadian Food Inspection Agency ( CFIA) confirmed Monday that a cow in Alberta province has tested positive for mad cow disease.

No parts of the animal were processed for human consumption, Dr. Brian Evans, chief veterinary officer of the CFIA, told a news conference in Alberta Monday.

The confirmation came after federal agriculture inspectors sent what was termed a "suspicious sample" to a Winnipeg lab for further testing Sunday.

Canada's beef and dairy cattle breeding industry has been shut out of the United States since bovine spongiform encephalopathy was discovered in an Alberta cow in May 2003. A subsequent two- year ban cost Canadian farmers an estimated 7 billion Canadian dollars (6 billion U.S. dollars).

America reopened its borders to Canadian cattle in July 2005, followed by Japan in December.

Mad cow disease, also known as BSE bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is a degenerative nerve disease in cattle. It has been linked to the fatal nerve disorder in humans, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

Source: Xinhua