Mad Cow Disease Research Paper

I do not believe that there is any real concern for contracting prions/Mad Cow Disease or Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease from Altoids. I believe this to be true because of many reasons, one being that the transmission from one species to another, while highly possible is less successful on the prions part than from one animal to another of the same species. “The transmission of prions from one species to another is accompanied by a prolonged incubation time on the initial passage to the host, with subsequent passages being considerably shorter. ...this "species barrier" has been shown to be due to differences in PrP [prions] sequence” (Fred Cohen, K. Pan, Z. Huang). The article also states that there are differences in DNA and genetic makeup amongst different species thus, prions have more difficulty transmitting from species to another. Along with this prions must have been incubated and active in the meat or animal products consumed for them to be …show more content…
Additionally there have been strict restrictions placed on imported goods from other countries (especially Western Europe) known to have suffered from infections by prions. “To prevent BSE [bovine spongiform encephalopathy or Mad Cow Disease] from entering the United States, severe restrictions were placed on the importation of live ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, and goats, and certain ruminant products from countries where BSE was known to exist. These restrictions were later extended to include importation of ruminants and certain ruminant products from all European countries” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Restrictions and limitations have been placed on any animals, meats, or animal products known to come from areas where there is a known issue or that the CDC may see as probable cause for