Brazil confirms mad cow disease cases; suspends China beef export

The Brazilian health ministry says there is no risk to human or animal health after detecting two cases of the disease.

Brazil has suspended beef exports to China after confirming two cases of “atypical” mad cow disease in two separate domestic meat plants. The halt to beef export begins immediately, the agriculture ministry said in a statement on Saturday, adding Beijing will decide when to begin importing again. The temporary suspension was taken under an existing bilateral protocol between the two countries, although the ministry stressed there was “no risk to human or animal health”.