September 13, 2001
		Mad Cow Disease Found in Japan Initial tests on the brain of a cow east of Tokyo revealed signs of bovine spongiform encephaolpathy, also known as mad cow disease, the Ministry of Agriculture admitted on September 10. Japan may have Asia's first case of mad cow disease, most likely contracted through tainted feed. More tests are being conducted to determine conclusively whether the cow had the brain-wasting disease. The cow was slaughtered in early August after losing the ability to stand. Milk produced by the 5-year-old cow had already been sold on the market, but an agriculture official claimed there was no risk to consumers. The cow was likely contaminated after eating feed that contained animal parts, the way that many scientists believe the disease is spread, said an official at the Ministry of Agriculture. Most feed used in Japan that is imported comes from the United States, Canada and Australia; however, some feed was imported from Europe before a ban took place earlier this year. Europe, particularly Great Britain, has had the highest incidence of mad cow disease. Although Japan banned beef from the European Union last year, some think it may be too little, too late. "We must now ask ourselves if our previous way of thinking was wrong, if there were factors we hadn't foreseen," said Kiyoshi Onodera, deputy division chief at the Ministry of Agriculture's animal health division.