MAD COW DISEASE

New theory suggests that BSE may have originated from a human form of the disease

Animal feed contaminated with human remains may have caused the first cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), suggests a hypothesis. Alan Colchester and Nancy Colchester propose a new theory consisting of three hypotheses: that human TSE-contaminated material was the cause of BSE; that this was transmitted orally via animal feed; and that the infective material originated from the Indian subcontinent. They present circumstantial evidence showing that human material was imported into the UK from India with other animal remains for the production of animal feed over a long period. They also propose that human TSE and BSE strain characteristics have sufficient similarities to be consistent with their hypothesis. (Subscription required to read entire article)

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