Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE)

We aim to provide a primary source of high quality, scientifically based, advice to Government (via Defra and Food Standards Agency) on all aspects of TSEs, with special reference to BSE and scrapie.

Image of BSE Fibrils

Our projects cover the following broad areas:

  • surveillance and epidemiology
  • pathology and transmission
  • diagnostics and molecular biology

In addition to our research, VLA is also the European Community Reference Laboratory for TSEs and an OIE TSE Reference Laboratory. We also maintain the TSE Archive and publish TSE Surveillance Statistics.

Clinical signs of BSE - DVD

A DVD is available for purchase, showing the clinical signs of BSE. Video clips of the symptoms of BSE and scrapie are also available from the TSE Reference Laboratory pages.