Donetha Groover

MW microbiology

Mad Cow Disease

We have all seen those horror movies where people go crazy. You know
the ones I mean, where something or someone invades the brain and causes
changes in the hosts personality. It is a scary thought to lose control of
ourselves. Unfortunately that horror can be a reality due to Mad Cow
Disease.
Mad Cow Disease is the nickname for two different forms of a disease.
In cattle it is called Spongiform Encephalopathy. In humans it is called
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (VCJD). Humans and cows get the disease
from eating meat from cows with Spongiform Encephalopathy. Specifically, it
comes from eating any part of a cows nervous system.
VCJD was discovered twenty years ago. However, unlike other diseases it
is not caused by a virus or bacteria. It is believed to be caused by a prion

protein. Unfortunately, even now nothing is really certain about the disease.
Tests can be performed to determine what the patient is not suffering from.
The only true test for VCJD at the moment is a brain biopsy, or an autopsy
after death.
There are about 300 cases of CJD a year in the United States. That
disease is found in the elderly, usually those over the age of 60 (National
Institute, 2015). VCJD, the variant form, targets people much younger.
There have been at least 300 confirmed cases so far. Most of those cases
are in the United Kingdom. Only four in the United States (World Health,
2012).
What is scary is that scientists and doctors still are not sure of the
incubation period of the disease. Combine that with the fact that there is no
test for it until death and there may be thousands of people who have this
disease to look forward to. It is thought that as many as 30,000 in the United
Kingdom alone may be carriers (MedicineNet, 2014). This is why people who
have lived in countries during an outbreak of Mad Cow Disease are not
allowed to donate blood.
So what are the symptoms of this disease? Well, what spongiform
encephalopathy does is form little holes in the brain, making it look like a
sponge. Hence the name. A person infected has personality changes,
psychiatric problems, and lose their coordination. As the disease progresses
patients suffer from severe mental problems, memory loss, and jerky,

uncontrollable movement. Eventually the patient is not able to move or

speak at all. Then, death (Medicine Journal, 2014).
Mad Cow Disease is not the only disease that causes these symptoms.
Other mammals have their own version of the disease. In sheep it is called
Scrappie, in elk and deer it is called Chronic Wasting disease. The main
difference between these diseases and VCJD is that VJCD can pass from one
species (cows), to another (people).
Scientists have been trying to figure out a test for this disease. They
thought that one which collected spinal fluid was going to be the answer.
Unfortunately, that test gave a lot of false positives. However, there is hope
for the urine test that has been developed. VCJD starts in the gut and travels
to the brain. So it is possible that minute traces can be found in the urine of
people who ate infected meat. So far there has been no false positives and
the test accurately found all but one of the test subjects who was positive for
the disease (HealthDay, 2014).
These tests now need to be done on more subjects and more data
collected before they can confirm that the test works. It may be possible
that the test could be used on blood of patients as well. That is harder to
study however, because there are very strict protocols on dealing with the
blood of those infected. If it happens that this test works, it means that more
people will be eligible to donate blood. It also means that people will no

longer get it from blood transfusions. Once we can test for it, maybe we can
work on a way to cure it.
I am very thankful that this disease is rare, because it is scary to think
about. I intensely hope that the tests work, and my husband and I can be
tested and know for sure if we are carrying it. It would be fantastic to know
that particular death sentence is not hanging over our heads any longer. We
have not lived in England for 18 years. It is time.

References
FDA. (2015, October 16). All About BSE (Mad Cow Disease). Retrieved
from
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/AnimalHealth
Literacy/ucm136222.htm
Lincoff, N. (2014, June 12). New Blood Test Screens for Mad Cow Disease.
Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/health-news/blood-testdetects-human-form-of-mad-cow-disease-061214#1
Mad Cow Disease and Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Causes,
Symptoms, Treatment - Diagnosis of Mad Cow Disease and Variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease - eMedicineHealth. (2015). Retrieved from
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/mad_cow_disease_and_variant_cre
utzfeldt-jakob/page5_em.htm

Norton, A. (2014, August 6). Researchers Closer to Test for Human Form of
'Mad Cow' Disease - MedicineNet. Retrieved from
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=179926
Office of Communication and Public Liason. (2015, November 2).
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Fact Sheet. Retrieved from
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cjd/detail_cjd.htm#291853058
Scott. (2014, January 30). What Causes Mad Cow Disease? | The Medicine
Journal. Retrieved from http://themedicinejournal.com/articles/whatcauses-mad-cow-disease/
University of Texas Science Center. (2014, August 7). Infectious prion
protein discovered in urine of patients with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease -- ScienceDaily. Retrieved from
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140807103650.htm
World Health Organization. (2012, February). WHO | Variant CreutzfeldtJakob disease. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs180/en/