Implementation of dot-blot in rapid diagnosis of BSE

The article describes the preliminary results from the implementation of dot-blot technique in the diagnosis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Simple methodology, low equipment requirements and fast procedure coupled with small volume of liquid waste prompted us to use this technique for the detection of pathological, proteolysis resistant form of prion protein (PrPres). The method was assessed with respect to sensitivity and specificity and it was compared with already approved rapid test for BSE diagnosis. Ability to detect all positive cases used in the study, lack of non-specific signal from negative samples, short time of testing procedure and higher sensitivity in comparison to the commercial test show that the method may be used in surveillance programs for BSE.