In this Article

• What is "Mad Cow Disease" (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy/BSE)?
• What causes BSE?
• Was a second case of BSE identified in the U.S. in June 2005?
• Did meat and meat products from the June 2005 cow enter the food supply?
• Was a case of BSE identified in the U.S. in December 2003?
• Did meat and meat products from the 2003 BSE cow enter the food supply?
• Will there be additional cases?
• Does BSE affect people?
• What measures are being taken to ensure food safety in the U.S. from BSE?
• Are the protective measures in place sufficient to ensure the safety of the human food supply in light of the June 2005 BSE positive cow?
• Is the food in the U.S. likely to be a BSE risk to consumers?
• Is cow's milk a source of BSE?
• Can milk be infected with BSE from a BSE-positive cow?
• Does the use of bovine-derived ingredients in dietary supplements mean that they are not safe?
• Since the BSE-positive cows were discovered in the U.S., does that mean that dietary supplements made with domestic ingredients might be unsafe?
• What steps is FDA currently taking to ensure the safety of dietary supplements that contain bovine ingredients?
• Given the BSE case in Washington State and the case in Texas, should consumers be concerned about cosmetics made using tallow from the rendering process?
• What about the use of gelatin, another bovine-related material, in cosmetics and dietary supplements and other foods?
• When and how did BSE in cattle occur?
• Is BSE in cattle the same disease as CWD in deer and elk in the U.S.?
• What countries have reported cases of BSE or are considered to have a substantial risk associated with BSE?
• Mad Cow Disease Glossary
• Mad Cow Disease Index

What about the use of gelatin, another bovine-related material, in cosmetics and dietary supplements and other foods?

FDA's rule prohibiting the use of the cattle materials that have the highest risk of harboring BSE infectivity in human food applies to gelatin. Therefore, gelatin used in human food may not be made from these cattle materials.

When and how did BSE in cattle occur?

BSE in cattle was first reported in 1986 in the United Kingdom (UK). The exact origins of BSE remain uncertain, but it is thought that cattle initially may have become infected when fed feed contaminated with scrapie-infected sheep meat-and-bone meal (MBM). Scrapie is a prion disease in sheep similar to BSE in cattle. The scientific evidence suggests that the U.K. BSE outbreak in cattle then was expanded by feeding BSE-contaminated cattle protein (MBM) to calves. The definitive nature of the BSE agent is not completely known. The agent is thought to be a modified form of a protein, called a prion, which becomes infectious and accumulates in neural tissues causing a fatal, degenerative, neurological disease. These abnormal prions are resistant to common food disinfection treatments, such as heat, to reduce or eliminate their infectivity or presence. Research is ongoing to better understand TSE diseases and the nature of prion transmission.

Is BSE in cattle the same disease as CWD in deer and elk in the U.S.?

BSE is a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE), a family of similar diseases that may infect certain species of animals and people such as scrapie in sheep and goats, BSE in cattle, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk, and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in people.

To date, there is no scientific evidence that BSE in cattle is related to CWD in deer and elk. FDA is working closely with other government agencies and the public health community to address CWD in wild and domesticated deer and elk herds. Wildlife and public health officials advise people not to harvest, handle, or consume any wild deer or elk that appear to be sick, regardless of the cause, especially in those states where CWD has been detected.

What countries have reported cases of BSE or are considered to have a substantial risk associated with BSE?

These countries are: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia, The Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, and United Kingdom (Great Britain including Northern Ireland and the Falkland Islands).

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• Encephalopathy - Learn about encephalopathy, a brain disease, damage, or malfunction. There are a variety of causes of encephalopathy. The most common symptom is an altered mental state.
• Food Poisoning - Read about the types of food poisoning from bacterium infection from Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria, and botulism. Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention information is included in the information.
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease - Learn about Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) symptoms such as progressive dementia, insomnia, dperssion, and unusual sensations.

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