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BSE is an interesting disease from a medical standpoint because of the causative agent, prions (pronounced pree-ons). A prion is an infectious protein that is similar to a virus, but not a typical virus. Unlike viruses, prions aren't alive, so they can't be killed with the usual disinfectants. The body does not mount a typical viral immune attack against prions, either. Prion proteins can be denatured, but only at extremely high temperatures or with very strong chemicals, either way, not consistent with animal life so these are not treatment options. Diseases caused by prions are referred to as TSEs -- Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies.
Elijah Koch
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∙ 12y agoMad cow disease or BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) is a fatal nerve-degenerative disease that inflicts adult cattle as well as deer and sheep among other ruminants. It is caused by a misfolded protein, called a prion, which affects the central nervous system causing holes in the brain that make it look like a sponge. It is a serious disease that has no cure, and is stealthy in that it is impossible to be detected early before the affected animal succumbs to death from ingesting prions.
Prions are not really micro-organisms, but more or less protein matter. Prions are ten times tinier than the smallest virus organism, and are thus much less smaller than bacteria and fungal spores. It takes 2 to 8 years for a prion to complete its incubation period from the time it has been ingested and came to rest in the Central Nervous System. Prions are often passed on from mother cow to her offspring through her milk, but they are also obtained from livestock eating animal by-products mixed in with their feed that contain remnants of protein from other cows, with a high likeliness that it contains prions from a BSE-infected cow or sheep.
Symptoms include wobbliness on feet, abnormal non-habituation to a stimulus (keeps jumping if stimulus is repeated over and over again), increased aggression, and constantly falling. These symptoms are soon followed by coma and death.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe scientific name for mad cow disease is bovine spongiform encephalopathy, abbreviated BSE.
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∙ 12y agoIf you mean what it is short for, nothing, mad cow disease is a nickname. The real name of mad cow disease is Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoI don't know about "short", but Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy is the official name. It's often abbreviated BSE, which might be what you were looking for.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoBovine spongiform encephalopathy...otherwise known as BSE or mad cow disease.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoBovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or BSE for short
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∙ 11y agoThere are several types of spongiform encephalopathies.
Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease is an inherited form in some instances and another rare form is transmissible.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoBecause cows go kinda nutty or act really aggressive when they are showing the symptoms of Mad Cow Disease.
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How can you make farmers aware about mad cow disease?
We are aware of mad cow disease
What name of the serious cattle disease that has been found in the us?
Mad cow disease
What is the scientific name of the pathogen that causes mad cow disease?
A prion.
What is the more common name for the cattle disease BSE?
It is commonly called 'Mad Cow Disease'.
Where did mad cow disease get its name?
Mad cow disease is an incurable, fatal brain disease that affects cattle and possibly some other animals, such as goats and sheep. The medical name for mad cow disease is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (pronounced: bo-vine spun-jih-form en-seh-fah-la-puh-thee), or BSE for short. It's called mad cow disease because it affects a cow's nervous system, causing a cow to act strangely and lose control of its ability to do normal things, such as walk
What is cow disease?
There is no such thing as "cow disease" unless you are referring to MAD cow disease, which is something else entirely.
Who called bovine spongiform encephalopathy mad cow disease?
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.
How can mad cow disease be treated or cured?
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, the scientific name for mad cow disease) cannot be treated or cured - it is progressive and 100% fatal in all cattle that contract it.
Is mad cow disease treatable?
No.
Can a Bull get Mad Cow Disease?
no
How cow mad diseases is treated?
Mad cow disease cannot be treated. The only solution is eradication to prevent the spread of the disease.
What happens to cows that have mad cow disease?
they go mad
