Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a fatal neurological disorder commonly called "mad cow disease". It is caused by infection with a type of protein called a prion, which accumulates in the brain of infected animals and causes death due to neurological damage. BSE cannot be treated and is transmissible to humans through the consumption of infected beef and beef products. Humans who consume infected beef may develop a type of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), which is also fatal and causes serious neurological damage. For this reason, BSE has had an immense impact on the beef industry, leading to widespread testing and development of regulations in order to prevent the transmission of the disease.