Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is characterized by behavioural changes, locomotory disturbances and loss of condition. The course of the disease is about 1-3 months terminating in death in some animals, but many are slaughtered because of unmanageable behaviour or trauma due to failling. Affected cattle were first identified in the United Kingdom in 1986, as a result of feeding contaminated ruminant protein and affected nearly 200 000 cattle. Since then BSE has been reported in several other countries. Variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease in humans most likely results from the consumption of beef products contaminated by central nervous system tissue. This video aims to provide information on the clinical signs of BSE, both from the perspective of the presenting signs initially reported by farmers, and clinical signs observed in the advanced stages of the disease.
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