A cull beef cow presented for ante-mortem inspection with central nervous system disease should be dispositioned as which option?

• A. Allowed to leave the abattoir holding pens on a private trailer to the farm of origin.
• B. Passed for ante-mortem inspection, and upon finding no gross lesions on post mortem, cow is 'Passed for Cooking'.
• C. Condemned immediately, with contact made to APHIS supervisory personnel as soon as possible.
• D. Tagged as 'US Suspect', killed at the end of the harvest shift, with head submitted for testing and carcass labelled as 'US Retained' until completion of testing.

Answer: (C)

When an animal shows central nervous system signs at ante-mortem, that signals a potential serious or reportable disease (such as BSE, rabies, or other neurotropic conditions) that could threaten public health or animal health. Because these diseases may not be reliably ruled out during ante-mortem inspection and could enter the food chain, the safest and most protective action is immediate condemnation and notification of APHIS supervisory personnel for appropriate regulatory steps. This prevents the animal from moving on to slaughter or to the farm of origin, and it avoids processing for human consumption until proper investigation is completed. Labeling the animal as suspect and awaiting postmortem testing or attempting to re-route it for cooking would not adequately address the risk, and moving the animal or delaying final disposition could jeopardize food safety and regulatory compliance.