An Aug. 5 Associated Press release reports that scientists have found evidence indicating that the human form of mad cow disease might be infecting a wider group of people than previously thought possible.
Research in The Lancet medical journal reported an infection in one person of what appears to be a human form of mad cow disease known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Apparently more people than previously thought could be incubating the disease, brought on by eating processed beef products from cattle infected with mad cow disease (medically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy). Although cattle are screened for the infection before their meat enters the food supply, the frightening part of this discovery is that scientists have no idea how many additional people might be infected with mad cow disease.
Speculative projections range from 10 or more to hundreds of thousands. No one knows the incubation period, how many people might be vulnerable, how the disease spreads and whether it can be passed on. There is no known test to diagnose the disease, no treatment and no cure. (Source: Associated Press .)
