Organism

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)

TSE is a progressive, fatal, incurable, neurodegenerative prion disease occurring in both animals and humans.

TSEs include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle; scrapie in sheep; chronic wasting disease in deer and elk; kuru in humans; Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans; and certain genetically determined or familial disorders (eg, fatal familial insomnia and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome).

There is the potential for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) transmission to humans from eating infected meat or meat products. Another public health issue involves the potential transmission through blood transfusions or via corneal, dura mater, and other transplants.