The fatal brain-wasting disease is believed to be spread through contaminated cattle feed and cannot be passed from cow to cow.

CNN: Canada nears end of mad cow probe

The European Union imposed a worldwide embargo on British beef exports in 1996 following evidence that infected meat caused a fatal brain-wasting disease in humans.

BBC: Renewed British mad cow disease warning

There were 113 cases of definite or probable vCJD in the UK between 1996, when doctors distinguished it as a new form of the rare brain-wasting disease CJD, and 3 December.

BBC: Clutch of vCJD cases unrelated