Mad Cows and Cannibals

Book excerpt: Part of the Prentice Hall Exploring Biology Series, Mad Cows and Cannibals explores the biological, political and social aspects of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, including Mad Cow Disease and Chronic Wasting Disease. The text begins with stories of ritualistic cannibalism in the highlands of New Guinea, and leads to the modern agricultural feeding practices that triggered the Mad Cow Disease epidemic in Great Britain, and to recent outbreaks of Chronic Wasting Disease in North America. In clear and accessible language, it explains the biology of these bizzare, degenerative brain diseases, answering important questions about how TSEs affect the safety of our food supply, blood supply, and medical procedures.