Mad Cow Disease essays

Mad Cow Disease essays Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), better known as Mad cow disease is a relatively new disease. Most sources state that BSE first showed up in Great Britain in 1986 but some say it popped up in 1985. However the official notification was not until 21 June 1988. Spongiform encephalopathies are invariable fatal neuro-degenerative diseases and there is no treatment nor is there a cure for this disease [Gregerp.1]. The recent scare of BSE has arisen because of the contraction of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by humans from eating beef products. Although there are many forms of Spongiform encephalopathies that affect a wide range of animals, BSE has received the most attention because many people in the world consume beef and people are that they might contract the disease from eating a burger at their favorite fast-food restaurant. Due to the fact BSE is something new, they are very concerned about this disease and the effects it can have on humans if it is not stopped. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is not some bacteria and it is not a virus, but in fact it is an infectious protein or prion. A prion is composed solely of proteins, and lacks genetic material in the form of nucleic acids. They are the tiniest infectious agents known, they can only be viewed under the strongest of electron microscopes. Most scientists are puzzled because nucleic acid is the basis reproductive material needed in all other life forms. Because of their unique makeup, prions are practically invulnerable. They can survive for years in the soil. Chemical disinfectants, weak acids, DNA, RNA, protein, ultraviolet light, ionizing radiation, heat, formaldehyde sterilization, and chemicals that react with DNA all have little effect on the infectivity of the prion. Only marinating your hamburger in Drain-O would make your burger safe to e at. BSE is a slowly progressing degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle. BSE is the same as most of...