The US Agriculture Department has approved the first rapid tests for detecting mad-cow disease (BSE) in cattle, allowing officials to determine within hours if a cow is infected.
Bio-Rad Laboratories announced the Government had licensed a BSE test that gave fast results and could be analysed at several locations - a key step in the plan to increase testing.
Bio-Rad reportedly said its tests would be used by about 25 State and Federal laboratories that were working to determine if BSE had taken hold in the US cattle population.
The California-based company said officials could test as many as 1000 cattle a day using its technology, according to Reuters News.
Bio-Rad vice president Brad Crutchfield said test results took about four hours, compared to the USDA's current diagnostic test that could take as long as five days to complete.
Bio-Rad Laboratories announced the Government had licensed a BSE test that gave fast results and could be analysed at several locations - a key step in the plan to increase testing.
Bio-Rad reportedly said its tests would be used by about 25 State and Federal laboratories that were working to determine if BSE had taken hold in the US cattle population.
The California-based company said officials could test as many as 1000 cattle a day using its technology, according to Reuters News.
Bio-Rad vice president Brad Crutchfield said test results took about four hours, compared to the USDA's current diagnostic test that could take as long as five days to complete.
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