Possible Cow to Cow
Transmission of Mad Cow Disease In Texas and Alabama - Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy BSE
June 12th 2006
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New cases of Mad Cow Disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or BSE)
have appeared in cows in Texas and Alabama. These cases appear to be an
atypical form of the disease. Scientists believe it may be a new strain
of the disease that can be passed from cow to cow.
Scientists theorize that cows pick up BSE, a cellular prion protein (prions
are smaller than viruses), from their feed. In this case however, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the existence of a rare
strain and researchers are still unsure how the disease was
transferred.
"It's most important right now, till the science tells us otherwise,
that we treat this as BSE regardless," the Agriculture Department's
chief veterinarian, John Clifford, said. According to FoodConsumer.org,
laboratory studies on mice showed that both the classic and atypical
strains could be spread from one animal to another.
The Federal Government will not be changing their testing or other
measures to safeguard animals and people from the disease. The Texas
case was identified last year and the Alabama case was identified this
year.
The cases have drawn international attention. Just last month in
London, a meeting of experts presented research on the U.S. cases and on
similar ones in Europe.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy is a chronic degenerative disease that
affects the central nervous system of cattle. It is called spongiform
because the brain tissue of the infected animals resembles a sponge
under the microscope. BSE belongs to a family of diseases called
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy’s (TSEs). According to the
Department of Agriculture, TSE animal diseases found in the United
States include scrapie in sheep and goats, chronic wasting disease in
deer and elk, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in mink, feline
spongiform encephalopathy in cats, and in humans: kuru, both classic and
variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker
syndrome, and fatal familial insomnia.
Dan Wilson
Best Syndication
Books on Bird Flu Pandemic at Amazon
Keywords and misspellings: mad-cow
spongeform encephilitis encephalitis Bovine Spongiform Encphalopathy BSE |
