mad cow disease or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is
cause by protein molecules called prions. don't think the americans
started it. my point is people don't start diseases... pathogens
have a life of their own, though prions are not strictly living
things, they are the cause of the disease and appears to be able to
transmit itself. and btw, BSE first came into the limelight in the
UK.
This disease is(was) prevalent in cannibalistic tribes who feasted
on the brains of their dead tribesmen and catch the disease from
there.
It is believed that BSE is the result of feeding cacasses of dead
animals to live stocks (cattles) and passing on the prions. As many
believe that this is against the natural order (cattles are
herbivous and thus shouldn't eat animal remains), that it is a
disease to punish the offenders... but the poor cows have to
suffer...
more on BSE
http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/bse.html
