MADCOW
Mad
cow
Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is a disease
found in cattle. It can also be found as a human brain infection called
variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease or vCJD, from which more than 100
Europeans have died. This fatal disease causes brain damage resulting
in memory loss, decreased mental function, and difficulty walking
and speaking. Often misdiagnosed, human victims waste away.
BSE and vCJD are
transmitted from cattle to other cattle to other cattle and humans
through ground feed made from cow parts and food contaminated with
small amounts of infected cattle brain, spinal cord, or other nervous
system tissues. The ailment was first observed in cows in Britain
in 1986 when many cows were reported to be disoriented, irritable,
and unable to stand or walk properly. Infected cattle have been found
in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.
