Transmissibility studies of vacuolar changes in the rostral colliculus of pigs

BMC Veterinary Research

Table 2 Presence of selected TSE-like clinical signs or combination of signs observed at the pre-cull assessment

Clinical signs	Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D	A-B	B-C	B-D
Repeatable over-reactivity to menace testing	2	6	2	0	ns	ns	0.0031
Apprehension towards observer	0	5	0	1	0.01	0.01	ns
Repeatable over-reactivity to probing of the neck	1	7	1	1	0.006	0.006	0.006
Stiff gait	0	4	3	0	0.033	ns	0.033
Ataxia	0	5	0	1	0.01	0.01	0.0498
Apprehension, over-reactivity & ataxia/stiff gait	0	5	0	0	0.0108	0.0108	0.0108
Apprehension & over-reactivity	0	5	0	0	0.0108	0.0108	0.0108
Apprehension & ataxia/stiff gait*	0	5	0	1	0.0108	0.0108	ns
Over-reactivity & ataxia/stiff gait*	0	8	0	0	0.0001	0.0001	0.0001

The numbers in the first four columns (groups A-D) refer to the number of animals displaying this particular sign or combination of signs. Columns 5-7 list the P value by group comparison; ns = not significant (P > 0.05).
Group A = NZ brain, includes pig that was not inoculated (N = 10)
Group B = BSE (N = 9)
Group C = Pre-1996 group (N = 10)
Group D = Post-1996 group (N = 10)
* Signs associated with a prion disease; the one animal in group D with multiple abscesses is listed for completeness although a prion disease was not suspected (see text).

ISSN: 1746-6148