By Shon Augustine n Mad cow disease is

By Shon Augustine

n 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 (BSE). This disease got it’s current name because it affects a cow’s nervous system, causing a cow to act strangely and lose control of its ability to do normal things. Mad Cow disease first appeared in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980’s.

n The causative agent for Mad Cow disease are prions. A prion is a nonliving, self-replicating infectious agent made of protein. It can replicate with the aid of its host, similarly to what a virus does. Prion is short for “proteinaceous infectious particle. ” Prions carry the disease between individuals and cause the weakening of the brain. Prions have been discovered in fungi. Picture of Prion

n There are many severe symptoms of this disease on humans. Many of them include - Sudden nervousness or aggression. A person may develop destructive behavior or actins while they are still live. - Abnormal posture, which means that you may stand up or sit in a an abnormal way, and not even realize it. -Difficulty walking, which does not allow people to get up and will stay paralyzed until a long time. -Severe muscle twitching. This means that the muscles suddenly start to move sharply or on an abnormal way. -Rapid weight loss - Lack of a good appetite- The disease can cause you not to eat anything anymore - Bizarre laughter and then foaming at the mouth

n The mad cow disease breakout in England was first realized in the year 1986 when farmers recognized that something was happening to their cattle. Unlike some farmers, British farmers used animal feed made up of bone and meat remnants from sheep to be fed to the cattle. And by this way, Mad Cow Disease had continued to spread.

n Mad Cow Disease can be transmitted to humans. Humans can be infected by consuming on products that have been produced from cattle meat in which the cattle have been infected with this disease.