Malaysia Free Of Mad Cow Disease

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 (Bernama) -- The government has given the assurance that Malaysia is free of mad cow disease and has never faced any case of the scourge, since 10 years ago. Veterinary Services Department director-general Dr Abd Aziz Jamaluddin said all beef products in the market, whether from local sources or imported, were safe to eat. "All cows which are brought in are quarantined for examination. So far, there has been no report of any cow suffering from the disease and the public need not worry," he said in a statement, here, Monday. Dr Abd Aziz also told the public not to worry about the made cow disease outbreak reported in the United States last month because it was an isolated case which did not affect the food chain. Malaysia no longer imported beef from California or other high risk parts of the animal such as skull and vertebral column, he said. Currently, Malaysia has not suspended the import of beef from the United States and has directed the department to take precautions when importing beef. Until last April, Malaysia imported 1.3 metric tonnes of beef from Nebraska, United States worth US$51,048 (RM156,000) while 25.3 metric tonnes worth US$1.20 million (RM3.7 million) were imported last year. Dr Abd Aziz said the department would not hesitate to suspend the import of cows from the United States if there was a high risk of infection to local livestock. The mad cow disease is a fatal disease and can spread from animal to humans. --BERNAMA