Hello there, a very important note here...NO human being has ever had 'mad cow disease' This is vital to understand.
People can have CJD and NVCJD, BSE is 'mad cow disease' the B stands for bovine, OSC is a SIMILAR disease in sheep and so on. They are not the same disease just similar.
Humans could have CJD then there was a new variant hence NVCJD. The new variant human disease of a previously known human disease.I believe CJD was first found in cannibals who ate human brains.
It is known and has been known for a very long time that the human form can be transmitted from human to human by blood products, growth hormones (human), other human tissue. It cannot be sterilised out of blood products and the blood suppliers have had enough of a problem with other blood transmitted diseases.
I firmly believe that cattle are being 'blamed' for a human to human disease because if most people realised that CJD and NVCJD CANNOT be sterilised off surgical instruments there would be uproar.
A further note to panic the public... most cattle with BSE are dairy cattle, and as this disease cannot be sterilised out either, would you want to drink milk and give it to babies?
It may be that the bovine disease mutates to form CJD or NVCJD, but as yet that has not been shown let alone proved.
If anyone has any queries they can message me and I'll do my best to provide info.
My younger son had his tonsils out a few years ago and I was more concerned about his being operated on with 'second hand' instruments than anything else as this is a way CJD and NVCJD may be passed especially with throat or brain surgery.
I understand quite a number of hospitals now use disposable instruments for this very reason.No cows involved.
Some people who have had NVCJD have been vegetarians,very few vets or farmers have had it.
It could even be that it started through vaccinations that used human blood products, and been transmitted down the human line.
I would have a blood transfusion again if my life depended on it (If they got my blood group right!) I have annual vaccinations,I drink milk and I eat beef. I let my kids have all these things too.But I am very concerned about surgical instuments.
Can I get off my soap box now? Thanks for letting me rant...must get that bee out of my bonnet!
Meat pie (Shirley) with Aberdeen Angus beef.
oh yeah we have a beef farm....