NEW YORK (Reuters) – British and American researchers are combining forces to develop a test for mad cow disease that would detect infected cows in slaughter houses.
Igen International Inc., based in Gaithersburg, Maryland and London research firm D-Gen Ltd. said they have started a program to develop the new test.
The effort will combine Igen’s detection system, called Origen, and expertise from D-Gen, a start-up founded by Imperial College, the United Kingdom Medical Council, the Wellcome Trust and the University of Bristol.
Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, moved through British herds in the 1980s and is now appearing in other European cattle, causing a scare among beef consumers around the world. A fatal human form, called new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, has killed more than 90 people in Europe.
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The test being advanced by Igen and D-Gen would use an assay, or an analysis system to determine the components of a substance, to test dead cattle for the disease before they are processed into beef products, the companies said. Using the test, producers could prevent the introduction of the infection into the food chain.
A spokesperson for Igen said other tests are already on the market but he believes the assay test will provide a more accurate analysis.
