What type of virus causes mad cow disease?

Answer 1

The prion that causes bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, the scientific name for mad cow disease) is very resistent to degradation. The two methods to destroy the prion are by incineration and by alkaline hydrolysis.

Answer 2

There is no virus named 'mad cow'. Mad Cow Disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) does NOT spread from a virus!!! Nor it spreads from a bacterium, fungus or parasite. It spreads from a protein that comes in a form that is far tinier than the tiniest viral organism. It can be spread in feed that has animal byproducts in it containing some form of ruminal protein (called prion protein, from other ruminants including sheep or cows), or through some other vector.

Mad Cow Disease is a neurodegenerative disease. It causes a spongy degeneration of the brain and spinal cord. The brain becomes spongy with holes and slowly wastes away. The diseased cattle become violent with the signs of mental disorder and have difficulty in movement.

Prion protein has an incubation period of about 4 to 5 years, which is long enough to infect many cattle if not treated. Cattle that are 4 to 5 years old can get the disease very easily.