The U.S. Department of Agriculture says at least 21 cattle held under quarantine in Texas will soon be euthanized as part of a plan to ease concerns that some might be infected with mad cow disease. The cows, imported four years ago from Germany for breeding, were isolated when the outbreak of mad cow disease erupted in Europe, officials said. Soon after, the U. S. banned the import of cattle and meat products from the European Union. Animals already in the United States were quarantined.
Contaminated feed is believed to cause the illness in cattle.
Within the next few weeks, the rest will no longer be a concern, an official with the Texas Animal Health Commission said. The only question is when. It will be this spring. Because the cattle showed no symptoms of illness, they were not seized. Subsequently, the National Cattlemans Beef Association has raised funds to meet fair market value, which was determined by a professional appraiser.