Mad cow disease is a fatal disease found in cows that can spread to people. It affects the brain and spinal cord, causing a breakdown of the nervous system. It is also called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). It rarely occurs in humans, but when it does, it is called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and is fatal.
The disease is caused by an abnormal version of a kind of protein called a prion. It is spread among cows when they are fed ground-up meat and bones from other cows. It can spread to people when they eat cow meat that has been infected with the abnormal protein.
Symptoms may not develop for several years after infection with the abnormal protein. When symptoms develop, they include:
Your healthcare provider will ask about your medical history and examine you. Your provider will ask about your eating patterns. You will have blood tests:
Other tests you may have are:
A cure has not yet been found for mad cow disease. Your healthcare provider may refer you to a specialist for treatment, such as a neurologist or an infectious disease doctor.
Follow your health provider’s instructions for care. Take the medicines prescribed for you to lessen symptoms.
All prion diseases, including mad cow disease, lead to death in 6 months to 5 years.
The risk of getting mad cow disease from beef is very low, but you can consider doing the following to prevent getting it:
