| Question | Answer | Article | |
| What is a prion (PrP)? | A prion (PrP) is a protein that occurs normally in the nervous and lymphoreticular tissues. When is changes conformation (PrPsc/PrPRes) it becomes an infectious agent and causes degeneration of neurological tissue. |
Link to Article | |
| How are cattle exposed to BSE? | Through the feeding of ruminant-derived protein within feedstuffs such as meat and bone meal (MBM). |
Link to Article | |
| What is the average incubation time of BSE? | 4-5 years |
Link to Article | |
| What are the main clinical signs of BSE in cattle? |
|
Link to Article | |
| What area of the brain do prions mainly accumulate in? | In the medulla oblongata (Obex)
|
Link to Article | |
| Can serological tests be used for BSE? | No, because BSE does not cause an immune or inflammatory response.
|
Link to Article | |
| How is BSE diagnosed? |
|
Link to Article | |
| What are the most important control measures for BSE? |
|
Link to Article | |
| Is BSE a zoonosis? | Yes, there is evidence to suggest that humans are at risk of developing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD)from eating BSE infected meat.
|
Link to Article | |
| What measures have been put in place to reduce the risk of humans developing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD)? |
|
Link to Article | |
| What are the specified risk material (SRM) for cattle? |
|
Link to Article | |