";s:4:"text";s:3617:" Prevention. A fatal brain disease in people called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is a result of being exposed to beef infected by mad cow disease. Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is a relatively new and rare neurological disease, classified as a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE). by Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. Control and Prevention. The New York Times article and CDC report were prompted by the confluence of several events: First, as of July 2000, about 175,000 cows in the United Kingdom developed a disease called "mad-cow" disease — a progressive disease of the nervous system of cattle. Mad cow disease, which is also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is quite often confused with the off-shoot of the disease contracted by cows called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). "Mad cow" disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is a progressive neurological disorder of cattle. About BSE. In humans, the most common transmissible spongiform encephalopathy is Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (CJD). Prevention; Although Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is very rare, the condition can be difficult to prevent. Feed Bans. Control Measures. "Mad cow" disease is an infectious disease caused by prions that affect the brains of cattle. Autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. ; Abnormal proteins called prions are found in brain tissue of diseased cattle and appear to be the particle that transmits the infection. Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is a disease that was first found in cattle. Prev NEXT . Related Links. Both disorders are universally fatal brain diseases caused by a prion.