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Samples from the animal that recently tested positive for
bovine spongiform encephalopathy will not be sent to the
OIE BSE World Reference Laboratory in Weybridge, England
until later this week, USDA spokesman Ed Loyd told Meatingplace.com.
That will mean that it could be two weeks or more until
final results are obtained.
The decision to subject the samples of an animal that tested
positive twice on a rapid test last October, then negative
twice on an immunohistochemistry (IHC) test in November
of 2004 to the more sensitive Western blot test occurred
as part of the Office of the Inspector General's audit of
USDA's surveillance program, Loyd said.
"They felt that in the case of a split in positive and negative
results, a second confirmatory test should be performed,"
he said. The decision was made early last week and the results
were returned late in the day on Friday. The Weybridge lab,
considered the most advanced in the world for BSE matters,
will perform both Western blot and IHC tests, which will
slow the process somewhat, Loyd said.
The OIG did not return calls for comment. |
