Mad cow disease has been found in a California cow -- the first documented case the United States has seen since 2006.
Not To Worry?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture insists the food supply is safe and that the discovery of the sick animal shows randomized testing procedures are working.
The cow in question was headed for a rendering plant, which turns carcasses into pet food or inedible industrial products.
Always Fatal
Mad cow disease is caused by deformed proteins called prionsthat induce devastating mutations in healthy brain and spinal tissues.
The human version of mad cow, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), is thought to be contracted through eating contaminated meat. According to the Centers for Disease Control, CJD is rapidly progressive and always fatal.
Indonesia has suspended the importation of U.S. beef indefinitely.