Preliminary tests on the cows turned up positive April 18 at a dairy health center in the prefecture.

The government has checked every slaughtered cow before it enters the food supply since 2001, after its first discovery of mad cow disease, known formally as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE.

Tokyo banned U.S. beef imports after the first case of mad cow was confirmed in Washington state December 2003.

Amid pressure from Washington, a government panel March 28 took a step toward partially lifting a ban on U.S. beef imports, but the decision has to be approved by the government.

The Japan Times Weekly: April 23, 2005
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