What is BSE?

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as "mad cow disease", is a fatal brain disease that affects cattle. The disease is named after the characteristic sponge-like changes to the brain that it causes. BSE usually has an incubation period of 4-5 years from the time that the animal is exposed. The condition is fatal within weeks or months of its onset. The first signs are weight loss and nervousness.

BSE is one type of a group of prion diseases referred to as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). TSEs are fatal diseases that cause spongy degeneration of the brain and severe neurological symptoms. Another example of a TSE is scrapie, a disease found in sheep and goats. TSEs have also been found in other animals including mink, North American mule deer, elk and cats. TSE's found in humans include Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) and variant-Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (vCJD).