Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), widely referred to as Mad Cow Disease, is a chronic degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle. It is one in a family of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies. BSE was first diagnosed in Great Britain in 1986.
How BSE spreads:
There is no evidence that BSE spreads horizontally, for example, by contact between unrelated adult cattle or from cattle to other species. Limited research suggests that maternal or vertical transmission may occur at a very low level. Research in this area is continuing.
BSE may be spread when meat-and-bone meal from infected animals is fed to cattle; feeding other high-risk materials such as spinal cords, brains, eyes, tonsils.
The nature, cause, origin, and progress of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).
The causative agent of BSE, as well as other TSEs, is yet to be fully characterized. The most widely accepted theory is the disease is caused by an unconventional transmissible agent termed a prion (infectious protein).
The BSE agent is smaller than most viral particles and is highly resistant to heat, ultraviolet light, ionizing radiation, and common disinfectants that normally inactivate viruses or bacteria. It causes no detectable immune or inflammatory response in the host; and has not been observed microscopically. At this time, there is no test to detect the disease in a live animal.
Related Diseases
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies are caused by similar uncharacterized agents that produce spongiform changes in the brain. TSEs that have been found in the United States include:
Scrapie of sheep and goats
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) of deer and elk
Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) of humans has been found in 1 case per 1 million population per year. Source: CDC
New Variant CJD (vCJD) of humans. As of December 1, 2003, one case in the United States (note: the U.S. case was reported in a person who resided in the United Kingdom during a key exposure period of the U.K. population to the BSE agent). Source: CDC
Safety Precautions
To prevent BSE from entering the United States, APHIS has restricted the importation of certain cattle products from the United Kingdom and other countries where BSE was diagnosed.
The European Union recently determined that feed of nonruminant origin was potentially cross-contaminated with the BSE agent. USDA has taken emergency action to prevent potentially cross-contaminated products from entering the United States.
to me the usda/APHIS/fda allowed it to gain entry to our country, now they would like us to pay for it with there nais program..why must we import food into this country anyway or feed products for our animals that were once allowed. seems we have plenty of farmers here to take care of that..
Charlie
How BSE spreads:
There is no evidence that BSE spreads horizontally, for example, by contact between unrelated adult cattle or from cattle to other species. Limited research suggests that maternal or vertical transmission may occur at a very low level. Research in this area is continuing.
BSE may be spread when meat-and-bone meal from infected animals is fed to cattle; feeding other high-risk materials such as spinal cords, brains, eyes, tonsils.
The nature, cause, origin, and progress of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).
The causative agent of BSE, as well as other TSEs, is yet to be fully characterized. The most widely accepted theory is the disease is caused by an unconventional transmissible agent termed a prion (infectious protein).
The BSE agent is smaller than most viral particles and is highly resistant to heat, ultraviolet light, ionizing radiation, and common disinfectants that normally inactivate viruses or bacteria. It causes no detectable immune or inflammatory response in the host; and has not been observed microscopically. At this time, there is no test to detect the disease in a live animal.
Related Diseases
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies are caused by similar uncharacterized agents that produce spongiform changes in the brain. TSEs that have been found in the United States include:
Scrapie of sheep and goats
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) of deer and elk
Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) of humans has been found in 1 case per 1 million population per year. Source: CDC
New Variant CJD (vCJD) of humans. As of December 1, 2003, one case in the United States (note: the U.S. case was reported in a person who resided in the United Kingdom during a key exposure period of the U.K. population to the BSE agent). Source: CDC
Safety Precautions
To prevent BSE from entering the United States, APHIS has restricted the importation of certain cattle products from the United Kingdom and other countries where BSE was diagnosed.
The European Union recently determined that feed of nonruminant origin was potentially cross-contaminated with the BSE agent. USDA has taken emergency action to prevent potentially cross-contaminated products from entering the United States.
to me the usda/APHIS/fda allowed it to gain entry to our country, now they would like us to pay for it with there nais program..why must we import food into this country anyway or feed products for our animals that were once allowed. seems we have plenty of farmers here to take care of that..
Charlie
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