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Mad Cow Disease - BSE: bovine TSE

  • BSE is a fatal disease that affects the brain of cattle
  • The disease is caused by a "self-replicating" protein; prionPrPSc
  • Meat, blood and milk have not been shown to carry the infective agent
  • The first case of BSE was reported in the United States in December 2003

CJD: human TSE

  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a prion disease in humans
  • Almost all cases of CJD are spontaneous, inherited or iatrogenic
  • A variant CJD (vCJD) have been linked to BSE exposure
  • No cases of vCJD have been reported in the United States

BSE was first observed in Great Britain in April, 1984, and was specifically diagnosed in 1986. Since 1986, nearly 200,000 cases of BSE in cattle have been identified in the United Kingdom. The epidemic peaked in 1992-93 at almost 1,000 cases per week. Control measures have reduced incidence and currently, less than 100 cases are being reported per week.
Introduction:
Description of spongiform encephalopathies, timeline and definition of terms
BSE:

Signs, epidemiology, location, infectivity, clinical tests relating to BSE
Graphics showing the means of transmission
Plots of the BSE epidemic
UK and US regulations aimed to control and eradicate BSE
Prions:
Prions are the causitive agent for all TSEs
Prion description, protein processing, structure, mutations, species differences, stability
Prion transmission, transmission barriers, concerns
Methods for identifying prion strains and tests
Human TSE:

Description, causes and symptoms of human TSEs including vCJD (nvCJD)
Saftety concerns of food and the US blood supply
Graphics illustrating incidence, location and trends of human TSE
Illustration on the route of transmission for human TSEs
Graphics illustrating the function and structure of the human brain and the sites of TSE effects
TSE of other species:
Information of sheep scrapie and TSEs of cats, wild deer, elk, pets and mink
Other Information:
Links to other BSE sites, to UIUC sites and to the authors

A scientific presentation of information on TSEs including BSE and human diseases

Slide Show:

A set of 'slides' with information presented in a question and answer format. This section addresses many concerns relating ot BSE (Mad Cow Disease) in a straight-forward, unassuming manner.

A series of questions and answers about BSE

A bried graphical illustration of both the slide show and scientific portions of this website Click on the button to the left for aid with this site.

Disclaimer: this site is designed as an outreach (extension) tool for the education of the general public regarding the risk, cause, concerns and problems associated with prion diseases in particular 'Mad Cow' disease. The authors are solely responsible for the content within this website and its interpretation. The information on human or animal TSEs should not be used as diagnostic tools; diagnosis of human or animal diseases can only be made by qualified medical doctors or veterinarians, respectively.

Copyright: The material within this website may be copied 'free of charge' for personal use. Permission to use material for other purposes should be requested from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign via the website authors.

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