What is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease)?
BSE is a progressive neurological disorder of cattle resulting from infection by an unconventional transmissible agent. From 1995 through June 2002, 124 human case of vCJD were reported in the United Kingdom and six in France. In addition to the cases of BSE reported in the United Kingdom (99 percent of all cases were reported there), cases have also been reported in other European countries, including Belgium, France, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, and Switzerland. Public health control measures have been implemented in each country of Europe to prevent potentially BSE-infected tissues from entering the human food chain. These preventative measures appear to have been effective. Other countries reporting a rare number of cases of BSE inlcude Japan, Greece, and Finland. In 2003, the US Department of Agriculture discovered a case of BSE in the US, and since this time the agency has been working with other federal agencies to minimize the risk for human
