Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Diagnostic reliability of clinical signs in cows with suspected bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 1998
- Authors:
- Braun, U et al.
- Affiliation:
- Clinic of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Plain-English summary
In a study involving 50 cows that were suspected to have bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a serious brain disease, researchers compared their symptoms to those of 22 other cows that were suspected of having the disease but did not actually have it. They found that the cows with confirmed BSE showed more signs of unusual behavior, such as being overly excited, having nervous movements in their ears and eyes, drooling more, and licking their mouths more often. Additionally, these cows were more sensitive to touch, noise, and light, and they had more trouble walking steadily compared to the cows that did not have the disease. This research helps to better understand which signs are more reliable for diagnosing BSE in cows.
Abstract
The clinical findings in 50 cows with suspected and subsequently confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) (group A) were compared with the clinical signs in 22 cows with suspected BSE, but with no histological evidence of the disease (group B). The chi-square test for association was used to compare the frequencies with which diagnostic signs or combinations of signs, were positive in the cows of groups A and B. When the frequency of a sign differed significantly, its sensitivity, specificity, efficiency and positive and negative predictive values were calculated. With respect to changes in behaviour the cows in group A more frequently showed increased excitability, nervous ear and eye movements, increased salivation and increased licking of the muzzle than the cows of group B. With respect to changes in sensitivity the cows in group A were more frequently hypersensitive to touch, noise and light than the cows of group B. With respect to changes in locomotion the cows in group A were more frequently ataxic than the cows in group B.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9725175/