The specimens are submitted from any bovine animals that have clinical signs of neurologic disease as well as nonambulatory cattle. Specimens have never been found positive. The NVSL pathologists use diagnostic techniques designed to recognize BSE lesions in histologic specimens.
Diagnosis entails correlation of clinical signs and animal history with histologic evaluation.
Other diagnosis to consider include rabies, lead and other toxicoses, listeriosis, and metabolic diseases. To further enhance BSE diagnostic capabilities, other supplemental tests are being performed. In addition, they have been trained in epidemiologic surveillance techniques that may require tracebacks to points of origin. The current plan for the FSIS represents an FSIS guideline or algorithm for epidemiologic investigation and action. The FSIS is prepared to implement the actions essential to the situation.