A case of mad cow disease has been confirmed in central California. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), otherwise known as "mad cow disease" has been confirmed after a daily cow carcass was sent for testing last week. Results from the USDA's laboratories tested positive.

This is the fourth case of mad cow disease discovered in the U.S. The most recent case was discovered during a surveillance program by the Agriculture Department that tests 40,000 cows a year.

John Clifford, the Agriculture Department's chief veterinarian, says the risk for consumers in America is very low. "It was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health."

BSE kills the cows and can cause a fatal brain disease if the contaminated meat is consumed by humans. The disease is believed to have killed 150 people in U.K. during the 1980s and 1990s.

In response to the mad cow disease discovery, South Korea has suspended sales of U.S. imported beef from today. According to BusinessWeek, Korea's Lotte Mart spokesman said, "We stopped sales from today. Not that there were any quality issues in the meat but because consumers were worried."