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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Animal Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #125023
Title: IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF PRION PROTEIN (PRP-SC) AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF BSE IN KOREA

Author
item KOO, H - SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
item PARK, Y - SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
item LEE, B - SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
item CHAE, C - SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
item O'Rourke, Katherine
item BASZLER, T - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Journal of Veterinary Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2001
Publication Date: 4/1/2001
Citation: Koo, H.C., Park, Y.H., Lee, B.C., Chae, C., O'Rourke, K.I., Baszler, T.V. 2001. Immunohistochemical detection of prion protein (PrP-Sc) and epidemiological study of BSE in Korea. Journal of Veterinary Science. 2(1):25-31.

Interpretive Summary: Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a fatal neurologic disease of cattle, apparently spread through feeding of contaminated feed supplements. Although BSE has been diagnosed only in the United Kingdom and a small number of its European trading partners, potentially contaminated feed supplements were distributed in Asia. To reassure the public about the health of their cattle population, many nations have are initiating BSE surveillance programs. An immunohistochemistry assay developed by USDA was used in this study of slaughter cattle. Availability of standardized testing protocols will increase the confidence of the US in the safety of products from their trading partners.

Technical Abstract: In this study, clinical and epidemiological examinations of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) were conducted in Korea, using reagents and protocols developed by USDA, ARS, ADRU. During the course of the study, none of the cattle exhibited typical clinical signs of BSE. Immunohistochemical analysis and western immunoblotting failed to identify any positive cattle. These methods can be used for postmortem diagnosis of BSE and will be useful for diagnosis of ovine scrapie as well.