A dairy cow from Kanagawa Prefecture was confirmed Sunday as being infected with mad cow disease, Japan's 10th case, the health ministry said.
A test by a national institute showed the Holstein, which was one month shy of 12 years old when slaughtered, almost certainly had the usual form of the illness.
The cow was born in Kanagawa Prefecture that had recently been purchased by a farm in Hiratsuka in that prefecture, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.
It was slaughtered Friday at a meat center in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture. A primary test at a prefectural institute found the cow was possibly infected and a sample was sent to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
The secondary test, involving the more precise Western Blot method, by the national institute confirmed the infection.
The cow started showing symptoms of joint dislocation and difficulty in standing about a week ago.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.