AR-News: (JP) Infected brains on menu for BSE tests

[Masako Miyaji]

http://www.asahi.com/english/nation/TKY200404290142.html

Infected brains on menu for BSE tests 
The Asahi Shimbun 
-------------------------------------------------------
 
In an unappetizing experiment, health experts will
feed cattle the brains of cows infected with mad cow
disease to find an early detection method for the
brain-wasting disease, officials said. 

The National Institute of Animal Health next month
will start a series of tests using live cattle to
combat possible outbreaks of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. 

The forced cannibalism, which will artificially infect
the healthy herbivores with BSE, is also aimed at
learning how the disease develops. 

The tests will be conducted in a tightly sealed
facility in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, that cost 7.1
billion yen to complete. 

The National Institute of Animal Health, an
incorporated administrative agency under the
jurisdiction of the farm ministry, has invited local
residents to take a tour of the new facility today to
alleviate fears that the disease might leak out. 

The new tests are needed, officials say, because of
deficiencies in the current BSE screening method. The
current test is conducted on the brain tissue of
cattle, meaning, obviously, that the cows are already
dead. 

There are also limits to the current test's
sensitivity to abnormal prion proteins, leading to
difficulty in dealing with the disease. 

To prevent abnormal prions from leaking during the
live cattle tests, the facility is equipped with air
and water purifiers. It also has a special
high-pressure, high-temperature system to safely
dispose of cattle parts after dissection. 

The infected brains will be collected from the
Hokkaido Animal Research Center, where researchers
started raising infected calves in January by
injecting prions into their brains. 

After the healthy cattle are fed the infected brain
matter, the Tsukuba institute researchers can try to
find a biochemical marker that indicates BSE infection
in the living animals, according to the officials. 

Japan now tests all cattle slaughtered for consumption
for BSE. The mandatory testing started in October 2001
after Japan's first mad cow case was confirmed. 

The facility's construction costs were earmarked in a
supplementary budget for fiscal 2001. 

The institute has since provided explanations about
the facility to local residents, the officials
said.(IHT/Asahi: April 29,2004) (04/29)



	
		
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs  
http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/careermakeover