Rapid Test for Mad Cow Disease

A rapid test for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) can be used manually or integrated into a fully automated system. The test has been recommended for the EU Surveillance Program by the Scientific Steering Committee of the European Commission.

A field study carried out by BSE experts at two national reference centers and four diagnostic laboratories focused not only on technical specifications but also on the test's precision in field use. The experts found that the test fulfilled all requirements and also demonstrated 100% sensitivity, underlining its suitability for reliable detection of animals with BSE. The test also showed 100% specificity, meaning it would not incorrectly identify samples from healthy animals as BSE-positive. The test was developed by Prionics AG (Zurich, Switzerland) and is called Check LIA. Prionics also developed the earlier Check Western.

"The two tests form an ideal and 100% reliable complementary testing system able to meet the most diverse needs of our customers,” said Karl Kalf, marketing director of Prionics. "Absolute reliability and high precision under field conditions represent the ambitious and demanding criteria that must be met by any new test developed by Prionics. Each individual result is important in consumer protection, especially as substances derived from one single cow can reach between 200,000 and 400,000 consumers.”




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