Detection of abnormal prion protein, the suspected causative agent of scrapie, in both retropharyngeal lymph node and obex via immunohistochemical staining.
Specimen
Antemortem: biopsy of the eyelid or rectal wall in 10% neutral buffered formalin (NBF).
Postmortem: retropharyngeal lymph nodes, obex, or entire brain in 10% neutral buffered formalin (NBF). The entire head is also accepted.
Certification for export of semen or embryos: the whole body must be submitted for collection and testing of brain, brainstem, spinal cord, palatine tonsils, spleen, mesenteric and retropharyngeal lymph nodes, and distal ileum.
Detection of antibodies to ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP) virus in ovine, and caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE) virus in caprine by competitive ELISA.