64 cows sold by farm at center of mad cow case.

TOKYO, Sept. 20 Kyodo

The farm ministry said Wednesday that so far 64 cows have been confirmed sold within and outside of Hokkaido since April 1996 out of 72 cows sold from a farm in the town of Saroma, Hokkaido, the birthplace of a cow suspected of having mad cow disease.

Of the 72 cows, 35 were sold within Hokkaido, and 29, including the cow suspected of having the disease, were shipped to 13 other prefectures.

The whereabouts of the remaining eight cows is still under investigation, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said.

Of the 35 cows sold within Hokkaido, nine are still alive and healthy. Twenty-four were slaughtered for meat and two others for meat and bone meal, a protein feed made from the crushed internal organs, skin and bones of cows.

Of the 29 cows shipped out of Hokkaido, seven are still alive and healthy, while eight were slaughtered or died showing no symptoms of mad cow disease. The ministry is investigating the rest.

On Sept. 10, the first suspected case of mad cow disease in Japan was announced involving a Holstein dairy cow from a farm in Shiroi, Chiba Prefecture.