HL Deb 11 April 2000 vol 612 c36WA
Lord Lucas

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many cases of BSE in cattle have been strain-typed; and what were the results of these experiments. [HL1866]

Baroness Hayman

Samples from the brains of nine cows with the natural BSE have been strained-typed in panels of mice. These all gave incubation periods and lesion profiles consistent with the presence of one strain of BSE. In addition, the lesion profiles within the brains of cattle with natural BSE have been monitored in birth year cohorts, starting with the 1992 cohort. The lesion profile in cattle has remained constant, indicating that only one strain is present.