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
That’s because in the 1980s, a prion disease in sheep, known as scrapies — which humans do not seem to get — moved into cows, and soon people throughout the United Kingdom, France and elsewhere were becoming infected with mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
—
Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025
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
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
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
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
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
The official name of mad cow disease is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
—Cnn Editorial Research, CNN, 30 May 2021
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Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025
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
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
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
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
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
The official name of mad cow disease is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
—Cnn Editorial Research, CNN, 30 May 2021
Cite this Entry
“Bovine spongiform encephalopathy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bovine%20spongiform%20encephalopathy. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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