Highly sensitive test is distinctive in its ability to determine lowest levels of infectivity
Bio-Rad Laboratories reports that its BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad cow disease) test, which is used in Japan's national BSE screening programme, has identified the country's second diseased cow under the age of 24 months.
Bio-Rad's rapid screening test was sensitive enough to detect the low level of abnormal prions found in tissue samples from the 21-month-old cow.
The same test also detected Japan's 23-month-old positive case in early October.
"This finding is significant because it further emphasizes the importance of the element of sensitivity in the testing process," said Brad Crutchfield, Bio-Rad's vice president and group manager of life science.
"It also serves as evidence that there is value in conducting more research and diagnostic studies to further understand the progression of BSE in cattle under the age of 24 months".
The 21-month-old cow tested positive at a slaughterhouse in Western Japan on 29 October 2003.
It is the ninth case of BSE found in Japan since the initiation of a widespread systematic testing programme in 2001.
All nine cases were detected by Bio-Rad's rapid screening test and confirmed with a Western Blot method developed by scientists in Japan.
The last two cases were identified in cows aged 23 and 21 months, respectively - younger cases than previously believed possible.
Bio-Rad's BSE test is the most widely used screening method in the world due to its quality, speed and ease-of-use.
Independent studies have shown that it is the most sensitive and effective rapid screening method of detecting BSE.
