What is Mad Cow Disease and How is it Transmitted?
Mad Cow Disease, also known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), is a degenerative neurological disease that affects cows. The disease originated in the United Kingdom in the 1980s and soon spread to other countries. In the early 1990s, humans began to contract a new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) from eating infected beef. This led to widespread fear and a ban on the importation of beef from countries where BSE existed.
How is it Transmitted?
Mad Cow Disease is caused by a misshapen protein called a prion. Prions are incredibly resilient and resistant to high temperatures, making them difficult to destroy. The prion responsible for BSE can survive for years in contaminated soil or feed. When cows eat feed contaminated with this prion, the disease spreads rapidly.
Humans who consume meat from infected animals are at risk of developing a new variant of CJD. The disease can take years to manifest, but once it does, it is incurable and ultimately fatal. Fortunately, there have been only a handful of cases in humans, and the risk of contracting the disease is very low.
Prevention and Control Measures
Governments around the world have taken measures to prevent and control the spread of Mad Cow Disease. One of the most effective ways is to ban the practice of feeding cows with protein derived from other cows or other animals. This practice, known as cannibalism, was a major contributor to the spread of BSE.
Additionally, governments have implemented strict monitoring and testing programs to detect infected cows. Cows that test positive for the disease are immediately culled and disposed of appropriately.
Conclusion
Mad Cow Disease is a severe disease that can devastate entire herds and cost farmers millions of dollars. However, the greater concern is its potential transmission to humans. Fortunately, the risk of contracting the disease from consuming beef is very low. Nevertheless, preventative measures, such as bans on cannibalism and monitoring/testing programs, remain essential to avoid another outbreak of Mad Cow Disease.
