Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease in cattle, that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 4 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of four to five years, all breeds being equally susceptible.In the United Kingdom, the country worst affected, more than 179,000 cattle have been infected and 4.4 million slaughtered during the eradication programme.
there is such a high incidence of AD in the U.S., the question may be asked whether there are other neurodegenerative diseases with some symptoms similar to AD that might be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s. This paper will specifically examine the likelihood that sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) may be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s.
The exact cause of Bovine BSE is not known but it is generally accepted by the scientific community that the likely cause is infectious forms of a type of protein, prions, normally found in animals cause BSE. In cattle with BSE, these abnormal prions initially occur in the small intestines and tonsils, and are found in central nervous tissues, such as the brain and spinal cord, and other tissues of infected animals experiencing later stages of the disease.
The agent that is responsible for BSE and other TSEs has not been fully characterized. Although other types of agents have been implicated, the theory that is most accepted in the scientific community is that the agent is a prion, which is an abnormal form of a normal protein known as a cellular prion protein. The TSE agents are extremely resistant to heat, ultraviolet light, ionizing radiation, normal sterilization processes, and common disinfectants that normally inactivate viruses and bacteria
There is a strong link between mad cow disease and the nvCJD. Most experts believe that this new variant CJD is the human form of mad cow disease. It is believed that the abnormal prion is spread from infected cattle to humans when the person eats meat or beef products. Milk and dairy products from infected cattle don't appear to carry the same risk.
Experts don't yet know exactly how long the incubation period is for bovine (in other words, how long it takes from the time a person contracts it to the time that symptoms first appear). However, they do believe that it takes years, if not decades, from the time someone is exposed to the disease until the first signs appear. After the first signs appear, the brain can deteriorate within a year. At this time, there is no known treatment for the disease
Kensinger added the research is representative of the importance Bovine And Mad Cow Disease Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources places on its land-grant mission to provide science-based solutions to concerns and issues vital to enhancing the quality of life for people.
Bovine Johne's disease is recognised as a herd health and production issue for both the beef and dairy sectors. In south east Australia, BJD is considered to be an endemic disease in dairy herds, but occurs infrequently in beef herds.
