Which disease is known as "mad cow disease"?

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as "mad cow disease," is a neurodegenerative disease that affects cattle and is caused by misfolded proteins known as prions. These prions induce abnormal folding of normal proteins in the brain, leading to brain damage and symptoms such as changes in behavior, lack of coordination, and ultimately death. The term "mad cow disease" refers to the behavioral changes seen in infected cows, which may appear nervous or disoriented.

BSE is part of a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which include other conditions like scrapie in sheep. The public health concern regarding BSE arose when it was discovered that humans could contract a variant form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) by consuming infected beef products. This connection led to significant changes in agricultural practices and food safety regulations to prevent the spread of the disease.

Kuru, while also a prion disease, primarily affected the Fore people of Papua New Guinea and was linked to their practice of ritualistic cannibalism. Scrapie is another prion disease but specifically affects sheep and goats, not cattle. Variant CJD, on