Mad cow disease

Mad Cow Disease or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects cattle. It is part of a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which also includes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and scrapie in sheep.

History

The first recognized instance of BSE occurred in the United Kingdom in 1986. The disease spread through the cattle population in the UK in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with a peak of almost 1,000 new cases per week in 1993. The disease has since been found in cattle in other countries around the world.

Cause

BSE is believed to be caused by a type of misfolded protein known as a prion. Prions are able to induce normal protein molecules to misfold into the disease-causing form. The exact mechanism of transmission of BSE is not fully understood, but it is believed that cattle were infected by being fed meat-and-bone meal (MBM) that contained BSE-infected products.

Symptoms

The symptoms of BSE include changes in temperament (such as nervousness or aggression), abnormal posture, incoordination and difficulty in rising, decreased milk production, and weight loss despite continued appetite.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of BSE is usually confirmed by post-mortem examination and microscopic examination of the brain tissue, as symptoms are similar to other diseases such as milk fever, mastitis, and pneumonia.

Treatment and Prevention

There is no treatment or vaccine for BSE. The only way to prevent the disease is to not feed cattle with products that could be contaminated with BSE prions. In many countries, there are strict regulations in place to prevent the feeding of animal by-products to cattle.

Impact on Human Health

A variant form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is believed to be caused by eating beef products contaminated with BSE. vCJD is a rare and fatal condition that affects the brain.

See Also

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• Prion
• Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

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