BSE

The 2011 report of the National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit Western General Hospital, Edinburgh (NCJDRSU), published on Oct 8, 2012, says that  the number of sporadic cases remains relatively stable for the past 15 years, varying around 70 deaths/year. There has been a small rise to 85 deaths or higher in 2008, 2009, and 2011. [1]

Amyloid fibre formation is responsible for several human diseases including Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and prion diseases. Polymerization of amyloidogenic proteins into ordered fibers can be accelerated by preformed amyloid aggregates derived from the same protein in a process called seeding.

Amyloid fibrilization is a multistep process characterized by an energetically unfavorable formation of nuclei (lag phase) followed by cooperative amyloid elongation. [1]

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]