Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), inaccurately called Mad Cow Disease, is a progressive, fatal disease of the nervous system of cattle, belonging to the group of disorders known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), which include scrapie in sheep and chronic wasting disease in deer and elk. The cause of BSE is still being debated, but it has been linked to an abnormal protein called a prion. There is no treatment or vaccine currently available for the disease.
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For more information on BSE, please visit the following sites:
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s BSE page
- National Cattlemen’s Beef Association/Beef Checkoff BSE Information
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s BSE page
- Center for Consumer Freedom BSE Information
- WHO page on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies
- WHO fact sheet
- Office International Des Epizooties Classification of BSE
- USDA Food Safety Inspection Service BSE News
- USDA/ERS Economic Impact of BSE on the U.S. Economy
