Mad Cow Disease

Mad Cow Disease or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects cattle. It is caused by prions, which are misfolded proteins that can cause normal proteins in the brain to also misfold, leading to brain damage.

Causes

The exact cause of BSE is unknown, but it is believed to be caused by a type of protein called a prion. Prions are abnormal, pathogenic agents that are transmissible and are able to induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins called prion proteins that are found most abundantly in the brain.

Symptoms

The symptoms of BSE include behavioral changes, trouble walking, and weight loss. These symptoms may take years to appear after the cow is infected.

Transmission

BSE is believed to be spread through the feeding of meat-and-bone meal, which can contain parts from an infected animal. This practice has been banned in many countries.

Human Variant

A variant of BSE, known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), can be transmitted to humans, usually through the consumption of contaminated meat. This disease is also characterized by the accumulation of prions in the brain, leading to neurological symptoms such as dementia and physical disability.

Prevention and Control

Prevention and control measures for BSE include banning the feeding of meat-and-bone meal to cattle and other ruminants, and the culling of sick animals.

See Also

• Prion
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• Neurodegenerative disease

Mad Cow Disease Resources
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