BSE: Science & research - Investigating new strains of TSEs in cattle
Until recently, evidence has suggested that BSE in Britain presented as a single stable strain of agent throughout the BSE epidemic. During the past few years, new forms of BSE have been described in Europe and world-wide. These new forms are called H- and L-type BSE in reference to their higher and lower molecular masses relative to classical BSE, when analysed using immunoblotting techniques. In 2007 the first case of H-type BSE was reported in the UK.
Defra is currently funding:
- A retrospective study of stored material from suspect BSE cases (confirmed and unconfirmed) to ensure that H- and L-type BSE have not been missed by older diagnostic techniques (project SE1795).
- A study searching for variants of abnormal prion protein in material stored from clinical suspects that tested negative for BSE (project SE1796).
Links to further information
Page last modified: 18 March, 2008