Mad cow disease

Definition

Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle caused by prions. It leads to brain damage and is transmissible to humans as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Mad cow disease is caused by abnormal proteins called prions, which are infectious agents devoid of nucleic acids.
2. The disease causes spongy degeneration of the brain and spinal cord in affected cattle.
3. Transmission to humans occurs through consumption of infected beef products, leading to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).
4. There is no cure for mad cow disease or vCJD; both are invariably fatal.
5. Strict regulations on animal feed and beef products have been implemented to control the spread of BSE.

Review Questions

• What type of infectious agent causes mad cow disease?
• How can mad cow disease be transmitted to humans?
• What structural changes occur in the brains of cattle affected by mad cow disease?

Related terms

Prion: An abnormal protein that can cause neurodegenerative diseases by inducing normal proteins to misfold.

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD): A human neurodegenerative disorder linked to consumption of BSE-contaminated beef.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE): The formal name for mad cow disease, a fatal prion-caused neurological disorder in cattle.