About BSE and other TSEs archive and BSE controls review archive

BSE is one of a group of diseases that affect a number of different mammals. These diseases, known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), or Prion Diseases, result from the build-up of abnormal prion proteins in the brain and nervous system. TSEs get their name from the spongy appearance in the infected brain, and the fact that they are transmissible via infected material.

A commonly occurring prion disease is scrapie. This disease affects sheep and goats and is found in many different countries.

Scrapie has been seen in UK flocks for over 250 years, and while some of the symptoms of the disease are very similar to BSE – it attacks the nervous system of sheep and goats and causes death – studies have not shown any link between scrapie and human illness.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a disease that affects adult cattle. BSE attacks the brain and central nervous system of the animal and eventually causes death.

Commonly known as 'Mad-Cow Disease', BSE has a long incubation period. This means that it usually takes four to six years for cattle infected with BSE to show signs of the disease, such as disorientation, clumsiness and, occasionally, aggressive behaviour towards other animals and humans.