Mad Cow Disease
Mad Cow Disease Causes
It is said to be caused by a specific type of misfolded protein called prion. BSE or mad cow disease is a type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy which causes previously normal protein to contort from an alpa helical arrangement to a disease-causing shape called beta-pleasted sheet. Inquiry on the disease shows that its may be caused by cattle being fed with the remains of other cattle with mad cow disease (BSE: Disease control & eradication - Causes of BSE", Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, March 2007).
Mad Cow Disease Definition
Mad Cow Disease, otherwise known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a neurodegenerative diseases in cattle that cause a spongy degeneration in the brain and in the spinal cord.
Mad Cow Disease Diagnosis
Laboratory testing that detect prions in blood or tissues may be used to detect this kind of disease.
Mad Cow Disease Symptoms and Signs
Symptoms are mostly neurological. It starts out with myoclonus or the involuntary and irregular jerking movements of a person, changes in behavior and difficulty in coordination and sight.
Mad Cow Disease Treatment
As of the moment there is no known cure for mad cow disease.