Definition:
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, simply called BSE and commonly known as Madcow disease, is a dangerous and fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle, causing degeneration of the spinal cord and brain. Unlike other animal diseases, BSE has a very long incubation period, lasting up to four years. Symptoms usually show at a page age of 4 to 5 years in all breeds.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis of BSE is difficult due to the altered prion protein that shows up in small amounts on urine and blood tests. However, the most effective test remains the examination of tissues during autopsy.
Treatment:
In most countries that are affected with this disease, cattle are killed to prevent transmission on humans.
Symptoms and Signs:
The infected cattle develop a red eye and suffer from degeneration of the brain and spinal cord, which in turn leads to death after onset of the disease.
Causes:
The origin of bovine spongiform encephalopathy remains unknown. However, reports suggest that a main contributory factor in the development of this disease is feeding of infected protein supplements to young calves.
