Prionics Rapid BSE Test Helps Identify New Strain of Mad Cow Disease in Italy

    ZURICH, Switzerland, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Prionics AG, the world leader
 in testing procedures for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), today issued
 the following statement regarding the discovery of a new form of mad cow
 disease in Italy:
 
      "We are proud that the Prionics(R)-Check WESTERN rapid BSE test played an
      instrumental role in identifying this second form of mad cow disease,"
      said Dr. Bruno Oesch, co-CEO of Prionics AG.  "While we don't yet know
      the health implications or prevalence of this new strain, its
      identification confirms the importance of deploying the most accurate and
      advanced rapid test for surveillance purposes."
 
     Prionics is the only company that offers a rapid BSE test capable of
 identifying a new BSE strain because this test evaluates tissue samples based
 on several molecular criteria, such as size and characteristics of the
 examined protein. The Prionics(R)-Check WESTERN is the test of choice in Italy
 and most countries in Europe, as well as in Canada and BSE free countries like
 Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Chile.  It has been used in more than
 18 million of the 30 million BSE tests conducted worldwide between 2001 and
 2003.
 
     About Prionics AG
     Prionics AG has the largest number of scientists in the industry focused
 on BSE and works closely with a network of prion and neurological experts
 around the world. Prionics' surveillance concept has led to the establishment
 of official EU-wide BSE screening programs in 2001, and Prionics(R)-Check
 WESTERN is the preferred test in these programs.
     Prionics AG, based in Zurich, Switzerland, is an ISO 9001 certified
 company with production facilities in Switzerland and the U.S., and currently
 employs 100 people. For more information about Prionics, please visit
 www.prionics.ch.
 
 

SOURCE  Prionics AG