Can humans get mad cow disease?
Scientists believed that there was a “species barrier” for humans getting the Mad Cow Disease. However in Britain it was noted that in 1999, younger people were dying from Cruetzfeldt-Jakob Disease, which normally does not affect anyone younger than 30 years of age. What they deduced was that a new variant of Cruetzfeldt-Jakob Disease had surfaced, with origins from beef infected with Mad Cow Disease. Britain has currently been embroiled with scandal on whether the public had been adequately informed on the dangers in eating British beef. To date, approximately 48 persons in Britain have been thought to be dead from this variant disease. The long incubation of mad cow disease (10 years) precludes scientists to determine if this is an isolated event, or if the country is in store for a terrible epidemic. Mad Cow Disease has devastated the British cattle industry, resulting in the slaughter of 2.5 million cattle and an international boycott on exported beef from Britain. Obviously, there
Research from the United Kingdom supports an association between BSE and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). Variant CJD likely developed as a result of people consuming products contaminated with central nervous system tissue of BSE-infected cattle. Documented studies report that in naturally infected cattle, the BSE agent has only been found in central nervous system tissue, such as brain and spinal cord and in retina tissue. All vCJD victims to date have had a specific genetic make-up that may make them vulnerable to this disease. About 40 percent of the population has this genetic make-up. Research continues to determine the role genetics may play in this disease. Q: What is the difference between BSE, sporadic CJD and vCJD? BSE, sporadic CJD and vCJD are all Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) which are a class of rare brain diseases, some of which affect humans while others affect animals. All TSEs are associated with the accumulation of abnormal prion proteins
It is possible for humans to contract a form of mad cow disease known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease by eating infected beef products, but it is extremely rare — only 153 people worldwide have ever developed the disease. How is mad cow disease spread? Mad cow disease is spread by cows eating material from other cows. It is illegal for cows in the United States and most other countries to be fed any cow by-product. Though it is not yet known how the single case of mad cow disease discovered in the United States was transmitted, contaminated feed is the primary cause of transmission in most cases. How can I protect myself from mad cow disease? The best way to protect yourself is to avoid eating cow brains, tongue, or organs. The prions that cause mad cow disease are found in the nerve tissue in these and other parts of cows, including the spinal cord and intestine. Prions have never been found in the muscles that make up the cuts of beef that are typically eaten, such as chuck, st
A. Yes. It is called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, of “vCJD”. It is a variant of Mad Cow Disease and is caused by eating beef contaminated with Mad Cow Disease, or BSE. Q. When is the vaccine for Mad Cow Disease going to be ready? A. GeneThera’s research is in the experimental stage. We estimate that it will take at least two years to develop a vaccine. Q. What about the vaccine for Chronic Wasting Disease? A. Probably the same amount of time. Q. Is the Colorado Division of Wildlife collaborating with GeneThera, Inc.? A. No. Q. What about the USDA? A. No. Q. Do you have veterinarians working directly or indirectly with GeneThera, Inc. for the testing? A. Yes. Q. What other assay testing is GeneThera, Inc. currently working on? A. Mad Cow Disease and Johne’s Disease. Q. When will it be commercialized? A. The Johne’s disease test is expected to be commercialized in September 2007, Mad Cow Disease probably in 2008. Q. Where do I mail my blood samples for testing? A. Samples can be shipped to
No, but they can develop the related disease, vCJD. Scientists believe people who have developed vCJD were infected by consuming cattle products contaminated with infectious prions. The incubation period for vCJD is about 13 years. How common is vCJD? As of Dec. 1, a total of 153 cases of vCJD have been reported worldwide since 1995: 143 from the United Kingdom; six from France, and one each from Canada, Ireland, Italy and the United States. (The U.S. case was reported in a patient who lived in the UK before moving to the United States.) What is prognosis for someone with vCJD? The disease is incurable and invariably fatal. Are certain cuts safer than others? BSE has never been found in muscle meats, so boneless cuts of beef are considered safe. Bone-in beef is slightly higher in risk. What about ground beef? Consumer groups say ground beef that’s processed using mechanized equipment can contain central nervous system material. But Jim Males, head of the Animal Sciences Department at O
