What are the differences between BSE in cows and CWD in deer and elk?
It is believed the outbreak of BSE in Europe resulted from the practice of using meat and bone meal from animals, including sheep byproducts that could have been contaminated with scrapie, in feed for cows. There is some evidence that Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in cows in Europe can be passed to humans who eat beef products contaminated with the abnormal prions that cause the BSE, resulting in a fatal brain disease called “new variant” Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease. There have been approximately 195 cases of “new variant” Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease identified in Europe, with the majority of those diagnosed in the UK. Deer and elk in the wild browse on naturally occurring plants in their habitat. The use of recycled protein in the preparation of food products for ruminants is not allowed in the US. There has been one cases of “new variant” Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease diagnosed in the US, however that case was diagnosed in an individual that was born and raised in the U.K. and had recentl
