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Cows.
Mad cow disease
The human form of the disease is called variant Creutzfeld-Jacobs Disease, or vCJD.
The term "mad cow disease" was a field name for the disease until laboratory testing gave it the more descriptive name of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (based on the signature lesions in the brain tissues). Media outlets preferred the term "mad cow disease" because it was more sensational and easier for the general public to understand.
NO. Mad cow disease (more properly called Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) is caused by a prion which is a mis-folded protein, not a fungus.
The popular name for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is mad cow disease. While this disease can be a food-borne illness, international food safety agencies have put regulations and laws in place to prevent the spread of BSE. Because of this, the number of human infections with BSE (called variant Creutsfeld-Jacob disease or vCJD) has been dropping every year throughout the world.
The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (BSE, CWD, kuru, etc.) are not viruses - they are infectious mis-folded proteins called prions.
No, BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the scientific name for mad cow disease) is generally thought to be caused by a prion, a misfolded protein. There are some theories that BSE could be caused by a virino, a very small virus, but this is not the currently accepted research.
A prion is a misfolded protein that is considered an infectious agent because they cause properly folded proteins to convert into the misfolded, prion form. In humans, prions cause Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. In cattle, prions cause mad-cow disease.
Prions are a misfolded protein and cause diseases. It can cause several central nervous system diseases including Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Fatal Familial Insomnia and Kuru in humans. Spongiform Encephalopathy in cows, mink, and cats plus Scrapie in sheep.
There are several major zoonotic diseases of cattle. APHIS is working on eradicating bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) and bovine brucellosis (Brucella abortus). Cases of bovine rabies and bovine anthrax are reportable to the state veterinarian as well.
Infectious protein, also known as a prion, is best known as the cause of mad cow disease (which is technically called bovine spongiform encephalopathy). Scrapie, a disease of sheep, and kuru, a disease that affects cannibals, are also caused by prions.