Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
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Also known as: BSE — Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, TSE — Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy', Mad Cow Disease, Prion — proteinaceous infectious particle, Scrapie — a transmissble prion affecting sheep that causes non-febrile neurological disease
Introduction
Signalment
Clinical Signs
Clinical signs include progressive ataxia and pruritus.
Diagnosis
In most instances the abnormal prion is resistant to protein kinase digestion, a feature used in diagnostic techniques. Histology (immunohistochemistry) usually shows vacuolation and an accumulation of prion proteins in various parts of the CNS (especially the brain and spinal cord).