Mad Cow 1

2 Pages 624 Words

Have you ever found yourself at home watching television and the latest Wendy’s commercial comes on advertising their newest burger? Suddenly you find yourself thinking, “It sure would be nice to have that nice juicy burger.” Sure you have, and that is the entire point of the commercial. However, do you ever stop to think what the consequences could be in eating that burger? No one ever stops to think that they could possibly contract Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human form of the bovine ailment known as “mad cow” disease. This disease is not a great concern at this point in the United States, but it is sweeping across Europe at an alarming rate. Even though “madcow” disease was not considered a very threatening disease in the past, studies show that if not curbed, this disease has the capability to turn into an epidemic.
“Mad cow” disease, known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, (BSE) is thought to be transmitted when cattle eat meat-based animal feed. This feed, meat and bone meal ground from the carcasses and entrails of cattle or sheep and then fed to the other cattle, is considered the most likely channel by which the disease spreads among herds. Scientists believe that it spreads to humans by the consumption of contaminated beef. It appears to be carried by a rogue protein called a “prion” not by a microbe, and therefore cannot be blocked by cooking beef thoroughly.

Many steps are being taken in Europe as an attempt to launch a Europe-wide strategy to stop mad-cow disease from spreading to humans. Many people have died from the human form of the disease in Britain and France, and many more have been infected. “Mad-cow disease is now moving from one member state to another,” EU Health Commissioner David Byrne said. “We should adopt an overall approach to address the risks so consumers can see what is done to protect their health” (Constant Brand, Herald Leader 2000). Therefore, bans of ...