08/01/05 Is non-definitive different disease?

American Rancher August 1, 2005 When the USDA announced last week that further testing was being conducted in another possible base of BSE in a U.S. cow it described the initial test results not as inconclusive, a term we have heard several times before, but as non-definitive. Dr. Gary Weber, executive director of regulatory affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association gave an explanation for the terminology at last week's NCBA summer conference in Denver. He said the initial test results from this non-definitive appear different than those for BSE. Weber: "There is a hole in the brain. Spongiform look to the brain. And around that hole in the brain are these purple stain areas. That stain is attaching to the prion protein, the protein that is causing the damage to the brain as it accumulates. In this particular case and there have been many of these around the world, they may not even be BSE. Scientists are trying to figure out is this some other brain disorder that occurs in older cows. And it may not be transmissible and it may not be BSE. So that process is ongoing. I believe the French are going to have some reports out in October because they have had similar cases as well." Weber says the research could take some time. Weber: "It might be that the French studies that are coming will define what the conditions are. So, that may be as early as October. If that doesn't there is going to have to be more ongoing research. Quite candidly that could take years to figure out what it is." I'm Bob Hoff.