Initial tests on the brain of a cow that was butchered at Tokyo's central wholesale market indicate it had mad cow disease, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said Friday. If confirmed, it would be the second case of the disease in Japan.
The metropolitan government responded by suspending shipments of dressed carcasses and internal organs from the central wholesale market until meat can be confirmed as safe and began collecting the dressed carcasses and organs of 509 cows butchered Wednesday and Thursday at the market.
The cow was among 26 animals the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry tested Wednesday out of 303 butchered that day, according to Tokyo officials, who did not clarify where the animal had been raised.