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.
There is neither any treatment nor a vaccine to prevent the disease. Following the onset of clinical signs, the animal s condition deteriorates until it either dies or is destroyed. 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. As of July 2000, more than 176,000 cases of BSE were confirmed in Great Britain in more than 34,000 herds of cattle.