The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Tuesday said final tests confirmed that a cow from the country's central province of Manitoba was infected with mad cow disease.

The animal was from a farm near Gimli, 80 kilometers north of Manitoba's capital city, Winnipeg. This is the sixth confirmed case of mad cow disease in Canada since 2003.

The cow was at least 15 years old, and was born well before Canada implemented restrictions on potentially dangerous feed in 1997, CFIA said.

Investigators are working to locate the animal's birth farm, which will help identify other herd mates that could have been exposed to the same feed.

The investigation might be "constrained" by the animal's advanced age and a lack of detailed records after such a long time, the federal agency said.

However, it said that Canada's food supply was safe, and the level of mad cow disease in the national cattle herd was very low.

Last week, Manitoba's chief veterinary officer, Dr. Wayne Lees, said the animal did not enter the human or animal food systems.

The animal's owner had it euthanized and sent for inspection after it showed signs of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy, including difficulty walking, Lees said.

Source: Xinhua