Final tests have confirmed that a cow near Gimli, Man. was infected with mad cow disease.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency had suspected the cow was stricken with the disease last week.

The agency said no part of the mature cross-bred cow entered the food chain, and said the animal was at least 15 years of age -- therefore born well before Canada implemented restrictions on potentially dangerous feed in 1997

"The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is conducting a comprehensive investigation. Officials have confirmed the animal was purchased by the owner as part of an assembled group of cattle in 1992," said the agency in a statement Tuesday.

The agency said an investigation will be launched to confirm where the cow was born and what other animals may have eaten the same feed.

This is the sixth confirmed case of mad cow disease since 2003.
The CFIA said Canada's food supply is safe, and the level of mad cow disease in the national cattle herd is very low.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is usually transmitted when cows eat infected cattle ruminants. The ban forbids the use of certain cow parts in cattle feed systems.

On June 26, officials announced enhancements to the feed ban that will block certain high-risk cattle parts from all animal feed systems, pet foods and fertilizers.

The change will prevent "more than 99 per cent of any potential BSE infectivity from entering the Canadian feed system," according to the CFIA.