What is a mad cow disease?

Mad cow disease or medically known as Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a disease of a cow (cattle) that was first reported in 1986 in UK. It is a disease affecting a cow’s nervous system. So far, it is believed that the infectious agent is called as a prion, a protein.

This prion protein carries the disease to the animal and causes damage to the brain and spinal cord. It makes holes in the brain making it spongy. This results in apprehensive and violent behavior of the cattle and causes difficultly or inability to move.It is said that the disease is transmitted to humans when they eat cattle meat contaminated with the infectious agent.

Once the disease gets to the humans, it is known as a new variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD or nvCJD). Its results in a progressive neurologic disorder including ataxia, difficulty in movement and speech and dementia. This is followed by involuntary movements of the body or limbs.

Average survival is less than a year after onset of symptoms. Studies are still ongoing as to confirm the link between BSE and CJD. Source: Stedman's Medical Dictionary http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php?t=25635 Picture source: http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRgoFfeqvKv9IE8qmBGc3VYQQFrqNLx2AXVGLp9EYU6Wa7SrM35.

Mad cow disease is a serious medical condition that is considered incurable. It causes fatal brain disease that commonly affects cattle and other animals such as goats and sheep. It is called mad cow disease because it affects the nervous system of a cow and causing a cow to lose control of its ability to do things normally such as walking.

The disease causes serious brain damage to these animals. When the meat of these infected animals is ingested by a person unknowingly, it will cause serious medical condition. Medical research shows that there is a strong link between the disease called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and eating the contaminated meat of animals infected with mad cow disease.It affects the biologic processes of the human body.

This condition requires prompt medical attention. -quote The risk of CJD is low. The disease can't be transmitted through coughing or sneezing, touching or sexual contact.

The three ways it develops are: • Spontaneously. Most people with classic CJD develop the disease for no apparent reason. CJD that occurs without explanation is termed spontaneous CJD or sporadic CJD and accounts for the majority of cases.

€¢ By genetic mutation. In the United States, about 5 to 10 percent of people with CJD have a family history of the disease or test positive for a genetic mutation associated with CJD. This type is referred to as familial CJD.

€¢ By contamination. A small number of people have developed CJD after being exposed to infected human tissue during a medical procedure, such as a cornea or skin transplant. Also, because standard sterilization methods do not destroy abnormal prions, a few people have developed CJD after undergoing brain surgery with contaminated instruments.

Cases of CJD related to medical procedures are referred to as iatrogenic CJD. Variant CJD is linked primarily to eating beef infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the medical term for mad cow disease. -end quote Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/creutzfeldt-jakob-disease/DS00531/DSECTION=causes.

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