AR-News: (IT) New form of mad cow disease found

[Animalconcerns]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Italian scientists have found a second form of mad cow
disease that more closely resembles the human Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
than the usual cow form of the illness.

The brain-wasting diseases BSE, known as mad cow disease, and human CJD
are caused by different forms of mutant proteins called prions. A number
of people, mainly in England, have also suffered from what is called
variant CJD, a brain disease believed to be acquired by eating meat from
infected cows. No Americans have been reported with variant CJD.

Now, the team of Italian researchers reports a study of eight cows with
mad cow disease found that two of them had brain damage resembling the
human victims of CJD. They said the cows were infected with prions that
resembled those involved in the standard form of the human disease, called
sporadic CJD, not the variant caused by eating infected meat.

Salvatore Monaco, lead author of the new study, said the findings may
indicate that cattle can also develop a sporadic form of the disease, but
it might also be a new foodborne form of the illness. 
...
"Although observed in only two cattle, the BASE phenotype could be more
common than expected," they reported.

Monaco said in an interview via e-mail that he believes the incidence
could be as high as 5% among cattle with mad cow symptoms. 

full story:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-02-16-mad-cow-form2_x.htm

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