Can BSE affect humans?

Although no cause and effect relationship has been proven scientifically, it is thought that BSE in cattle and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in humans might be linked. The human form of BSE is believed to be a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD, a type of TSE found in humans) and is called variant-CJD (or vCJD). There is compelling evidence that the prion associated with BSE in cattle is the same as the prion associated with vCJD in man however the route of transmission from cattle to man is not known.

The first 10 cases of vCJD in young people (average age 29 years) were reported in March 1996 in the UK. vCJD, like BSE, causes sponge-like changes in the brain and degeneration of the neural system. In the early stages of the disease, depression and behavioural changes are commonly observed. As the condition progresses, a staggering gait and lack of coordination occurs. The disease is not treatable and is fatal.