Animal Prion Diseases
Prion diseases are a group of rare, progressive brain diseases that occur when proteins called prions accumulate abnormally in the brain. Prion diseases affect both humans and animals, such as cows and sheep, and typically cause devastating neurological symptoms and death. Prion diseases can spread through contact with infected tissue, consumption of infected tissue (e.g. eating infected beef), or through medical procedures. Animal prion diseases are of particular concern for their potential to spread to humans, for example Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) also known as mad cow disease. Understanding animal prion diseases is therefore critical for public health and for the safety of the food supply.
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