Azores islands report first mad cow case

The cow was slaughtered on October 2 and the carcassdestroyed immediately on presenting signs of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).

Veterinary authorities have placed the farm under embargoand informed their counterparts in Germany.

Portugal has repeatedly protested that the EU embargo isunfair because it has stricter measures to control brain-wasting BSE than many other European countries.

The Ministry says the incidence of BSE in Portugal currentlystands at 200 per million, down from 240 tallied in the 12 months to September 1999, and is on course to be eradicated by 2003.