Mad cow disease

What is Mad Cow Disease?

• Mad Cow Disease, also known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), is a deadly and slowly progressive infection affecting adult cattle’s central nervous system. It is degenerative and can be transmitted to humans who consume contaminated meat products.
• It can be contracted by a cow if it eats feed that has been contaminated with parts of another cow that was infected with BSE.
• BSE is a result of an abnormal protein called a prion, which typically exists on the surface of cells. 

• This prion transforms into a harmful form that harms the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. 

• The presence of this altered protein is undetected by the affected cow’s body, making it impossible for the cow to fight off the disease.
• The disease leads to neurological symptoms. One of the most common symptoms of BSE in cows is incoordination, which means the cow has difficulty walking and standing up. 
• The cow may also show signs of nervousness or aggression. These symptoms typically appear when the cow is in the final stages of the disease.
• The incubation period of BSE, which is the time from when a cow is infected with the prion to when it shows symptoms, can range from four to six years. During this period, there are no visible signs of the disease.
• Once a cow starts showing symptoms of BSE, it progressively gets worse until it dies. The duration of the disease can range from two weeks to six months. 
• There is no cure for BSE, and infected cows are typically euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease to other cows and humans.

• It has no known treatment and there is no vaccine available to prevent it.