Jerry Cowley
Question:212 Dr. Cowley asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will explain the surgical procedure involved in the extraction of brain and spinal cord tissue from dead bovine animals for the purpose of BSE testing. [3379/03]
Written Answers. - Bovine Diseases.
This first step in the procedure is the removal of the animal's head. A specially designed instrument is then inserted into the cavity where the spinal cord joins the brain stem, known as the foramen magnum, and rotated to slice and remove the relevant part of the brain stem.
The sample is then inserted into a sample bottle, labelled, securely packaged, and sent to the laboratory for testing.