The government on Tuesday began full-fledged investigations into Japan's eighth case of mad cow disease to determine how a 23-month old Holstein was infected with an atypical form of the brain-wasting malady.
"We're making efforts to determine" how a 23-month-old Holstein was infected with an atypical form of the brain-wasting disease, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, told a news conference.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry also assembled experts to discuss measures and collect data. One of the main subjects of their attention will be what kind of feed the cow had eaten, because it had an abnormal type of prions -- protein particles believed to be the cause of mad cow -- that has never before been reported in Japan or abroad.