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By: Steaklovers

Q: What is BSE?
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) also Known As "Mad Cow Disease" is a chronic, degenerative disorder affecting the central nervous system of cattle. The BSE disease agent has been found in brain tissue, the spinal cord and retina (eye) tissue of naturally infected cattle. To date, the BSE disease agent has not been found in muscle (steak) meat.

Other BSE facts:
• first diagnosed in 1986 in Great Britain
• about 95 percent of cases have occurred in the United Kingdom
• disease confirmed in native-born cattle in other European countries such as Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland
• not known to exist in Argentina

Q: What is CJD?
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in its classical form was first described in the 1920s and is predominantly (85% of cases) a sporadic disease, with no identifiable cause. It is a rare disease and occurs worldwide at a similar rate of about 1 case per million of the population per year. Around 10% of all CJD cases are associated with gene mutations. Less than 1% of all cases are iatrogenic (accidentally transmitted from one patient to another as a result of medical interventions). In sporadic cases the average age at onset is between 55 and 75, although younger patients are found in the other forms of disease. In 1996 the National CJD Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh identified a previously unrecognised disease pattern, New Variant CJD, now known just as variant CJD (vCJD). vCJD is a similar neuro-degenerative disease to CJD, however, the average age at onset is around 27 and at post mortem examination the brain tissue displays a significantly different pattern under the microscope. The first symptom of CJD is rapidly progressive dementia, leading to memory loss, personality changes and hallucinations. This is accompanied by physical problems such as speech impairment, jerky movements, balance and coordination dysfunction, rigid posture, and seizures. CJD can be fatal within months or even weeks. In some people, the symptoms can continue for years. The symptoms of CJD are caused by the progressive death of the brain's nerve cells. When brain tissue from a CJD patient is examined under a microscope, many tiny holes can be seen where whole areas of nerve cells have died. Although there is no scientific evidence indicating CJD is caused by BSE, recent research supports an association between BSE and CJD. The most likely source of human exposure was consumption of products containing brain or spinal cord tissue from BSE-affected cattle.

There is currently no cure for CJD and the disease is ultimately fatal.

Q: What is Foot & Mouth?
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals. The disease is characterised by the formation of vesicles (fluid-filled blisters) and erosions in the mouth, nose, teats and feet. Although not very lethal in adult animals, it causes serious production losses and is a major constraint in international trade.

Q: Can people contract foot-and-mouth disease?
Foot-and-mouth disease typically does not affect humans.  There is only one recorded case from Britain in 1966, and that person experienced symptoms similar to the flu with some blisters.  People can, however, spread the virus to animals because it can persist on contaminated clothing, footwear, and other materials for several weeks, and can harbour in human nasal passages for as long as 28 hours. The Food Standards Agency has advised that the disease has no implications for the human food chain.

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