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Table 3 Relative frequency of clinical signs expressed at the pre-cull examination compared to control cattle

From: Relationship between clinical signs and postmortem test status in cattle experimentally infected with the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent

Groups

1 g & 100 g

1 g

100 g

4

3

2

Study

1

1

1

2

2

2

Postmortem BSE diagnosis

Pos

Neg

Neg

Pos

Neg

Neg

Behaviour

      

Crush refused or entered reluctantly

↑↑↑

 

↑↑↑

   

Nervous or apprehensive in corridor

↑↑↑

 

↑↑

↑↑

  

Obstacle refused or not approached

↑

   

↓↓

↓↓

Nervous entering milking parlour

↑

  

---

---

---

Yawning

↑

     

Kicked out during examination

↑

     

Sensation

      

Startle repeatedly during examination

↑↑↑

↑↑↑

↑↑↑

   

Startle once during examination

↑↑↑

 

↑

   

Clipboard test abnormal once

↑↑↑

     

Clipboard test abnormal >2

↑↑↑

     

Over-reactivity to sound ≥1

↑↑↑

     

Over-reactivity present once/2 tests

↑↑↑

     

Over-reactivity present >2/2 tests

↑↑↑

     

Over-reactivity to sound >2

↑↑

     

Flash test abnormal ≥1

↑

     

Flash test abnormal >2

↑

     

Exaggerated menace

↑

     

Head tests nervous

   

↑↑

  

Stick test: kicking

   

↑

  

Movement

      

Tremor

↑↑↑

  

↑

  

Ataxia or hypermetria

↑↑↑

     
  1. Groups were compared with undosed controls (study 1) or saline-inoculated controls (study 2). The BSE-positive animals dosed with 1 g and 100 g in study 1 were combined to increase the sample size.
  2. (↑) increased frequency of sign; (↓) decreased frequency of sign compared to control cattle, with P<0.001 (three arrows), P = 0.001-0.01 (two arrows) and P>0.01 and <0.05 (one arrow). Blank cell: not significant (P>0.05) or no P-value given because of absence of this sign in both groups.
  3. Only signs that were significantly differently displayed compared to controls are listed.