Mad cow testing continues on Texas cattle

Texas, Jul 10, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Mad cow testing continued Sunday on brain tissue of cattle from a Texas ranch where a cow was found to have the disease in June.

The Houston Chronicle reports 67 siblings, offspring or herd-mates of the infected cow are being tested by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa. Twenty-nine had tested negative and were sent to a landfill.

To test cows, they must be killed for brain samples. If a test comes back inconclusive, the animals are incinerated and two additional tests are conducted.

If a positive test is confirmed, extensive background testing is conducted like the one done on the Texas cow.

Humans who eat infected meat can develop a form of the brain-wasting disease.