A dairy cow from British Columbia is the 15th confirmed case of mad-cow disease in Canada. However, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed that no part of the cow has got circulated into the market for consumption by humans or animals. The agency is also investigating the origin of the disease in the cow.

``The age and location of the infected animal are consistent with previous cases detected in Canada,'' the agency said. Other animals in the dead cow's herd, when it was born, are also being examined the agency said. According to Canadian regulator’s Web site, testing for the mad – cow disease began in 1992 in Canada. In 2003 the testing was further broadened.

BSE, Bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad-cow disease, has been the cause of more than 150 human deaths worldwide. By eating meat from BSE-infected animals Humans suffer from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease which is incurable human illness that destroys brain tissue.

It was only last year that the U.S. eased most restrictions on Canadian beef and cattle after confirming that the animals pose ``minimal risk'' for mad-cow disease.  However, three cases of the disease were confirmed by the US since December 2003, including one in an animal born in Canada.

Canada is the largest foreign supplier of beef to the U.S., according to the Department of Agriculture. Till September this year, the U.S. had bought 629.6 million pounds of beef from Canada. This is 1.7 percent more than in the same period last year, the USDA said.