Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as 'mad cow disease,' is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder found in cattle that results from the accumulation of abnormal prion proteins in the brain. This disease is part of a group of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) caused by misfolded proteins called prions, which lead to brain damage and characteristic sponge-like changes in brain tissue. The connection between BSE and human health concerns emerged when variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), a related prion disease, was linked to the consumption of infected beef products, raising significant public health alarms.
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