BSE

Humblet et al 2012 prioritized 100 animal diseases and zoonoses in Europe using 57 prioritization criteria. The method of disease prioritization has been defined as the “organization of listed diseases into a hierarchy, considering their respective impacts”. Five aspects of a pathogen were considered: epidemiology, prevention/control, effects on economy/trade, zoonotic characteristics, and effect on society. [1]

Natural cross-species transmission of 263 K scrapie in hamsterTransmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) diseases are known to cross species barriers. New TSE diseases have been identified  in deer and elk, in domestic cattle, and in humans. The amino acid sequence of the prion protein (PrP) is known to be an influential factor for cross-species transmission of TSE disease to a new host. [1]