11.   It has also stepped up tests on older cattle, which are more vulnerable to mad cow, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, as the disease is formally known.

12.   Older cattle are considered most at risk from the brain-wasting ailment formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

13.   Older cattle are considered most at risk from mad cow disease, a brain-wasting disorder formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

14.   Older cattle are considered at most risk for carrying mad cow disease, a brain-wasting disorder formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

15.   Older cattle are considered most at risk for carrying mad cow disease, a brain-wasting disorder formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

16.   The European Union barred Britain from exporting its beef while the government agonized over slaughtering older cattle to calm fears about mad cow disease.

17.   They agreed in principle on a massive upgrade of testing, with mandatory tests on all older cattle.

18.   In recent weeks there have been several cases of older cattle being abandoned, apparently because their market price would not cover feed and transport costs.

19.   Britain, which had already proposed culling of older high-risk cattle to restore market confidence, was seen as likely to proceed with a slaughter program.

20.   The older cattle being earmarked for destruction are mostly dairy cows nearing the end of their milk production and destined for eventual use as burgers and sausage.