BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is a progressive neurological disorder of cattle that results from infection by an unusual transmissible agent called a prion. The nature of the transmissible agent is not well understood. Currently, the most accepted theory is that the agent is a modified form of a normal protein known as prion protein. For reasons that are not yet understood, the normal prion protein changes into a pathogenic (harmful) form that then damages the central nervous system of cattle.
Mad Cow Disease is a neurological disorder of cattle.
News and Highlights
New Case of BSE Detected in Canada
On February 12, 2015, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced the confirmation of another bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a beef cow from Alberta born in March 2009.
See the CFIA notice. For more information about BSE in Canada, see the Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) website.
- Page last reviewed: February 6, 2015
- Page last updated: February 6, 2015
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