mad cow disease information and facts

What is Mad Cow Disease?

Otherwise known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), is a deadly, degenerative, slowly progressive disease of the central nervous system, usually affecting adult cattle.  Moreover, this disease can affect not only cattle but also sheep, deer, elks, minks, and humans as well.

Where did this disease came from?

This disease was first reported in the United Kingdom in the year 1986.  However, the exact origin where of the disease is not known.  It is believed that these cattle became infected when they were fed with contaminated scrapie-infected sheep meat-and-bone meal (MBM).

What causes the mad cow disease?

Mad cow disease cause is believed to have come from an infectious agent called a prion, which transport the disease among individuals.  The prion will cause the brain and the spinal cord to degenerate.  The brain can have microscopic holes leading to physical and mental deterioration or even death.  Healthy animals can be infected when they come in contact with tainted tissues of the infected animal.

Humans eating infected meat tissues are said to be at risk.  Hereditary factor is also believed to be one of the cause of the disease.  A variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease have been found in humans but the reasons are unknown.  In addition to this, blood transfusions from infected individuals, as well as transplantations and exposure can lead to mad cow disease.  Other than these, social contacts including sexual intercourse as well as drinking milk from an infected cattle cannot transfer the disease.

What are the symptoms?

· Mad cow disease bovine symptoms
• The cattle is unable to stand without difficulty.
• Poor muscle coordination.
• Difficulty in walking
• Change of behavior
• Weight loss
• Milk production is decreased.

· Mad cow disease human symptoms
• First Stage: Change in personality and behavior.  The person becomes depressed and may have insomnia.  Social withdrawal, confusion, and muscle spasms are also noted.
• Second Stage: Poor muscle coordination and involuntary painful contractions occurs. Vision and memory is also affected.
• Third Stage: Dementia develops and the physical state continues to deteriorate.  Coma is a possibility to occur, which can lead to death.

How is mad cow disease diagnosed and treated?

Mad cow disease diagnosis as well as mad cow disease treatment does not exist for the time being.  The reason behind this is that, this disease is not very common to humans.  An MRI or PET scan as well as blood samples or brain biopsy can be effective options for a physician to diagnose the disease.

For treatments, the doctor can only prescribe medications to control the symptoms.  However, the absolute cure has not been developed yet.  It is recommended therefore to be cautious in consuming meat.

Has anyone died or is still suffering the disease?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have about 154 cases.  Since the early 1990s, 144 have already died.  Most of them are in Europe.  The incubation period of this disease is very long making it difficlut to determine earlier if the person is sick or not.

Can you protect yourself from contracting the disease?

Knowing more about mad cow information can help you from avoiding the disease.  Experts say that you should avoid eating cattle brains, and other parts of the cattle’s nervous system.  An example of this is the headcheese.  Drinking milk is not something you should be worried about because the disease is not transferred through dairy products.