The disease was first diagnosed in 1986 in Great Britain. BSE has had a substantial impact on the livestock industry in the United Kingdom. The disease also has been confirmed in native-born cattle in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. Clinical Signs Cattle affected by BSE experience progressive degeneration of the nervous system. Affected animals may display changes in temperament, such as nervousness or aggression, abnormal posture, incoordination and difficulty in rising, decreased milk production, or loss of body weight despite continued appetite.
Affected cattle die.
The causative agent of the disease is not completely characterized, and there is neither any treatment nor a vaccine to prevent the disease. This process usually takes from 2 weeks to 6 months. Most cases in Great Britain have occurred in dairy cows between 3 and 6 years of age. BSE is so named because of the spongy appearance of the brain tissue of infected cattle when sections are examined under a microscope. The epidemic peaked in January 1993 at approximately 1,000 new cases reported per week.