Mad Cow Disease

This is the research about 'mad cow disease' i found from the book - animal health. I have summerize the important part.

1. The background information

The "mad cow disease" also called the 'bovine spongiform encephalopathy'(BSE). BSE is an extremely serious disease of cattle, believed to have originated from infected meat and bonemeal in cattle feed concentrates, which was derived from a similar disease in sheep known as scrapie. BSE is a fatal brain disease of cattle which has only come to light in recent years, having been first recognised in the UK in 1986. The incubation period for BSE is very long, commonly 3-5 years, but in range can be considerably wider, from 30 months to 8 years and possibly even longer.

2. The risk to man

If there is a danger that BSE could be risk to man, two situations must be considered: firstly, that the disease can be transmitted from cattle to man and, secondly, that parts of the diseased animals carrying the infective agent can enter the human food chain。

On the first issue, there is no direct scientific evidence to show that BSE can be transmitted from cattle to man. If there is any risk to the human subject, it is extremely small and no greater for children, hospital patients, pregnant women or those people who are ill or lack th full power of their immunological systems.

The second issue is whether parts of a BSE-infected animal can enter the human food chain. The evidence at present is that whilst the BSE infective agent can be found in the brain, spinal cord and also the retina of affected cattle, extensive tests have failed to detect it in the muscle meat and milk of infected beasts. Mandatory measures have been taken, and strengthened, to prevent all those part of the animal that might be infected from entering the food chain. The current enforcement of these regulations appear to be working efficiently, with heavy penalties being imposed by those who evade them, but very few people are doing so.