Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE): A Fatal Cattle Disease with No Benefits

BSE ("mad cow disease") is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative prion disease of cattle. It has no benefits—only devastating consequences:

• Animal welfare: behavioral changes, ataxia, tremors, death.
• Economic: trade bans, culling costs, consumer confidence loss (UK >£4B).
• Public health: vCJD risk from contaminated food chain.
• Environmental: prion persistence in soil, carcass disposal challenges.

Pathogenesis

PrP^Sc accumulates in CNS → spongiform vacuolation, astrogliosis, neuronal loss → clinical signs.

Control Success

Feed bans (1988 UK, 1997 US/Canada, 2001 EU total ban) + SRM removal + surveillance → classical BSE near eradication. Atypical BSE (H-type, L-type) occurs spontaneously at very low rates.

Continued vigilance essential; prions do not disappear.