bovine spongiform encephalopathy

noun

: a fatal prion disease of cattle that affects the nervous system, resembles or is identical to scrapie of sheep and goats, and is probably transmitted by infected tissue in food

—abbreviation BSE

called also mad cow disease

Examples of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The official name of mad cow disease is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). — Cnn Editorial Research, CNN, 30 May 2021

Food safety officials in Britain had assured consumers that bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, could not be transmitted to humans by eating beef from sick cows. — Andrew Curry, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2013

In 1989, the United States banned lamb and beef imports from Britain after an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, otherwise known as mad cow disease. — Remy Tumin, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025

The exports were suspended in November after a case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, was discovered by Irish veterinary officials. — Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 17 Jan. 2024

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease comes from exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), most often through consumption of infected cattle. — William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 9 June 2022

Chinese authorities suspended the exports in November after Irish veterinary officials discovered a case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease. — Sylvia Hui, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2024

In the 1980s, concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy — or mad cow disease — took hold across Europe, when cases of the incurable and invariably fatal neurodegenerative disease of cattle began to appear. — Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bovine spongiform encephalopathy

• cardiomyopathy
• coagulopathy
• homoeopathy
• polyneuropathy
• radiculopathy
• enteropathy
• myelopathy
• retinopathy
• myopathy
• psychopathy

Medical Definition

bovine spongiform encephalopathy

noun

: a fatal prion disease of cattle that affects the nervous system, resembles or is identical with scrapie of sheep and goats, and is probably transmitted by infected tissue in food

—abbreviation BSE

called also mad cow disease