GeneThera

[StrawBoss]

I don’t believe that BSE can be detected with a blood test because if it can, the muscle would also be infected. That is one reason that the blood test theory is not widely supported--- there is two ways at looking at this blood test—snow-job to fool the consumer or our beef is not safe and all animals should be tested.

[cowman]

Well I'm no expert on the blood test...just what I heard from the guy from Genethera, when he was on the Rutherford show. He claimed how the test worked was the genetic markers for the disease were in the blood not the prion itself. That is how the test works. He claims an 85% success rate(rising to as high as maybe 95% with a larger database)! Now that sounds fairly bad but apparently the tests they now use don't even make the 85% range! So maybe Strawboss is right...the whole thing might be a snowjob!

[Cedar]

So....now it's a genetic disease???? Great! Let's just test them all and track down the "evil bloodlines" and get rid of them all! Job Done! Piece o' cake! (Organics sounds better all the time.)

[cowman]

The test used in Canada won't even detect the young cattle like the Japanese test does! The Japanese test is more accurate, way faster, and one third the cost. Why is it not used here? Maybe they don't want to find anything under 30 months?

[topper]

I read somewhere that the test the Japanese use gives a lot of false positives that is why canada and the us are hesitant to use it. I looked around but couldn't seem to find the site where I read that, maybe someone else knows more.

[cowman]

Well I never heard anything about false positives, but it could be. I think some European countries use the same test as the Japanese. I wonder what test the French use?

[smcgrath76]

Canadian Food Inspection Agency selects Prionics AG for enhanced BSE surveillance program
January 14, 2004
From a press release
ZURICH, Switzerland -- Prionics AG, the world leader in testing procedures for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), today announced that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has chosen the Prionics(R)-Check WESTERN rapid BSE test for the country's enhanced BSE disease surveillance program. Prionics(R)-Check WESTERN was the rapid test used in Canada during the 2003 BSE investigation. Three CFIA laboratories have now been equipped with the Prionics test.
"Reliable BSE testing is a proven method for monitoring the beef supply and boosting consumer confidence," said Dr. Bruno Oesch, president and CEO of Prionics. "We are proud that Canada has selected Prionics to help bolster the country's detection system."
Prionics(R)-Check WESTERN is considered by many animal health authorities internationally to be the most accurate rapid-test procedure for BSE in the world. To date, more than 18 million cattle samples worldwide have been tested using this technology with no false positive results recorded. "It is critical to get a BSE test right the first time," said Oesch. "This is particularly important for BSE-free countries or countries with a low BSE incidence because the resulting loss of confidence from consumers and trading partner countries, triggered by a false positive, can have disastrous consequences. One of the striking advantages of our technology is that it is the only rapid BSE test that does not deliver a false positive." An additional benefit of the Prionics test system is that it is the only one of its kind suitable for detecting BSE in both cattle that are processed for consumption as well as "downer" cows. "A breakthrough feature of our test is that its performance is not hampered when partly or fully degraded tissue samples are used for testing," adds Oesch. "Such sub-optimal samples are typically encountered in surveillance programs focusing on downer cattle." Prionics has over 50-percent share of the world market for BSE testing -- more than 18 million out of 30 million cattle have been tested with Prionics BSE rapid tests. BSE-free countries like Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Chile -- as well as most European countries that test for BSE -- have adopted this technology in agreement with guidelines established by the World Organization for Animal Health.
www.prionics.ch.