What is Mad Cow disease?

About Mad Cow disease:

• It is also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
• It is a transmissible, slowly progressive, degenerative, and fatal disease which affects the central nervous system of adult cattle.
• Causes: It is caused by a protein called a prion, which is normally found on cell surfaces, called a prion, 
• When this protein gets altered, it destroys the nervous system tissue- the brain and spinal cord.
• Transmission: A cow gets BSE by eating feed contaminated with parts that came from another cow that was sick with BSE. 
• Symptoms:
• A common sign of BSE in cows is incoordination. A sick cow has trouble walking and getting up.
• It usually takes four to six years from the time a cow is infected with the abnormal prion to when it first shows symptoms of BSE. 
• There are no vaccines available for this disease. 

 

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Q1) What is the nervous system?

The nervous system is a complex network of nerves and cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to various parts of the body.

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