April 25, 2012

Bloomberg - Mad Cow Disease Remains Rare Since Discovery in U.K.: Factsheet

Mad cow disease, identified in four cases involving U.S. cattle starting in 2003, is related to an incurable condition in humans called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob that leads to a rapid decline of mental function and movement.

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The latest case is atypical, said Guy Loneragan, an epidemiologist and professor of food safety and public health at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. That means it “may be a spontaneous, extraordinary event in older animals” and not likely due to animal feed, he said.