Mad cow disease facts for kids
Mad cow disease is the common name for a serious illness in cattle. Its scientific name is Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE for short. This disease attacks a cow's brain and nervous system. It is caused by a special type of protein called a prion. When a cow gets BSE, its brain starts to form tiny holes. This makes the brain look like a sponge and slowly waste away.
Cows with mad cow disease often act strangely. They might become violent or confused. They also have trouble moving and standing. It takes a long time for the disease to show up, usually about four to five years. This means older cows are more likely to get sick.
Mad cow disease was not very common at first. But in 1996, officials in England announced that humans could get a similar disease from infected beef. This news caused a lot of problems for the cattle industry. In England, which was hit hardest, over 179,000 cows got sick. About 4.4 million cows were killed to try and stop the disease from spreading.
Contents
What is Mad Cow Disease?
Mad cow disease is a brain disorder in cattle. It is caused by an abnormal prion protein. These prions are not like normal proteins. They can cause other normal proteins in the brain to fold incorrectly. This leads to brain damage.
How it Affects Cows
When prions build up in a cow's brain, they create tiny holes. This makes the brain tissue look spongy. The damage affects how the cow thinks and moves. Cows might struggle to walk or stand. They can also show signs of confusion or aggression. The disease gets worse over time.
Mad Cow Disease Around the World
This disease has had a big impact globally. Countries have taken steps to prevent its spread. They also work to protect people from getting sick.
South Korea's Experience
In 2012, there was a lot of anger in Korea. This happened when President Lee's government discussed importing beef from the USA. Many people worried about mad cow disease. Large protests took place in front of city hall. This public anger caused the president's approval ratings to drop.
India's Unique Cows
Interestingly, only certain Indian cows, known as Desi Cows, seemed to resist mad cow disease. Researchers are still trying to understand why these cows are immune. Because of this, some other countries have started importing Indian cow breeds. They hope these cows can help prevent the disease.
Related pages
- Prion disease
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (This is a human disease similar to mad cow disease.)
Images for kids
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This cow with BSE displays abnormal posturing and weight loss.
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Brain tissue of a cow with BSE showing the typical microscopic "holes" in the grey matter.
