Which disease is known as “Mad cow disease”?

• A. Scrapie
• B. Kuru
• C. Chronic wasting disease
• D. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy

Answer: (D)

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is the scientific name for what is commonly referred to as “mad cow disease.” This neurological disease affects cattle and is characterized by the degeneration of brain tissue, leading to a variety of symptoms including changes in behavior, lack of coordination, and eventually death. The condition is caused by prions, which are misfolded proteins that can induce misfolding in normal proteins, leading to a chain reaction of protein misfolding and neurodegeneration.

BSE gained significant attention due to outbreaks linked to feeding cattle infected animal parts, which posed risks for transmission to humans through the consumption of contaminated beef, leading to a variant called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Understanding BSE is critical for animal health, food safety, and public health.

The other diseases listed have different causes and affect various species or human populations but do not relate directly to the disease commonly known as mad cow disease. Scrapie is a disease in sheep, Kuru is associated with human cannibalism in specific communities, and chronic wasting disease primarily affects deer and elk. Each of these has its own distinct prion characteristics and epidemiology.