Why does mad cow disease start

The disease, which in some ways resembles mad cow disease, traditionally has affected men and women between the ages of 50 and The variant form, however, affects younger people the average age of onset is 28 and has observed features that are not typical as compared with CJD. About people with vCJD have been identified since Most are from the U. It's rare in the U. Currently this risk appears to be very small, perhaps fewer than 1 case per 10 billion servings, if the risk exists at all.

The contaminated feed contains the abnormal prion, and a cow becomes infected with the abnormal prion when it eats the feed.

If a cow gets BSE, it most likely ate the contaminated feed during its first year of life. Remember, if a cow becomes infected with the abnormal prion when it is one-year-old, it usually will not show signs of BSE until it is five-years-old or older. As of , people worldwide are known to have become sick with vCJD, and unfortunately, they all have died. It is thought that they got the disease from eating food made from cows sick with BSE.

Most of the people who have become sick with vCJD lived in the United Kingdom at some point in their lives. Only four lived in the U. This means that it is not like catching a cold. A person or a cow cannot catch it from being near a sick person or cow. Also, research studies have shown that people cannot get BSE from drinking milk or eating dairy products, even if the milk came from a sick cow. The U. Since August , the FDA has not allowed most parts from cows and certain other animals to be used to make food that is fed to cows.

This protects healthy cows from getting BSE by making sure that the food they eat is not contaminated with the abnormal prion. Certain high-risk cow parts are not allowed to be used to make any animal feed, including pet food. Food Poisoning. Acute Bronchitis.

Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. Bursitis of the Hip. Abnormal Uterine Bleeding. High Blood Pressure. Table of Contents. What is mad cow disease? What causes mad cow disease? How is mad cow disease diagnosed? Can mad cow disease be prevented or avoided?

Mad cow disease treatment There is no cure for mad cow disease. Living with mad cow disease Living with mad cow disease means learning to adapt to the changes and complications of brain deterioration. Questions for your doctor Does mad cow disease affect milk and milk products?

We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider. Patient Education. In an animal with BSE, prions are concentrated in two areas of the body: Nervous system tissues, such as the brain, spinal cord and eyes Lymphatic tissues, such as the lymph nodes, bone marrow and spleen For this reason, the greatest risk of acquiring vCJD is associated with ingesting these tissues from BSE-infected cattle.

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