(Liz) wrote in message . com...

The passage of BSE requires the ingestion of affected parts - of which
bones are not part of the issue. Primarily it is brain tissue and
central nervous tissue in the spine. It is not a virus, but rather a
prion, a much smaller particle than a virus which causes the disease.
Globally there have been 153 deaths - 148 of which were in Britain
where the human consumption of brain tissue was common.

Thanks for the info but according to the site I posted, the disease is
transmitted via meat and bones, and that´s what I remember seeing on
TV too. I didn´t know the British eat brains. That´s interesting! BTW,
a prion is a protein that is capable of reproducing itself somehow.

"The Cause of BSE in Great Britain
Epidemiological data suggest that BSE in Great Britain is a
common-source epidemic involving animal feed containing contaminated
meat and bone meal as a protein source. The causative agent is
suspected to be from either scrapie- affected sheep or cattle with a
previously unidentified TSE. Changes in rendering practices in the
late 70's?early 1980's may have potentiated the agent's survival in
meat and bone meal."

I have no clue where, or perhaps more importantly when, the above was
written. It is very clearly in error. There is absolutely NO danger
from eating the normal muscle tissue of even an infected cow. The only
danger exists within the brain and CNS system.