So mad cow disease [BSE] can be a naturally occurring disease,and not an infectious disease,so beef is (was)safe in the all world. WHY?
The BSE was tested in dairy cows, see"nutritonal experiment" performed in England; published in Veterinary Record (MOORBY et al., 2000) and in Journal of Dairy Science (MOORBY et al., 2000; DEWHURST et al., 2000). Long-term dietary crude protein surpluss, significantly higher than the norm (NRC, 2001; if about daily 30 kg of milk production was recorded and six of the 47 animals (13 percent !!!) developed clinical signs of BSE...
In addition about the BSE/ vCJD diseases; this was never justified scientifically! It was pure, math-model-driven science fiction. See more about ; BSE/ vCJD mathematical- models, see my large three comments in Telegraph.co.uk ( February 8th 2010; Does vCJD still pose a major public health threat?).
According to my opinion; what is the common denominator of the neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease?This was ten years ago (end of March 2001), when I published an alternative theory ( BSE ammonia- magnesium theory), where the main role of NMDA receptors was described. According to this theory, the cause of BSE is an excess of protein and the magnesium deficiency, in the feed rations of ruminants. Such conditions were developed in the mid of 1980s , especially in Great Britain... In addition, on the web of U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, Aging(December 2010)there was described the effect of drugs,in Alzheimer's disease in humans,on the principle of control hyperfunction of NMDA receptors,which is consistent with my BSE alternative theory of BSE, published 10 years ago. See more about the Nameda; A medication known as Namenda® (memantine), an N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, is prescribed to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease...
However, less well-known circumstances can be show (as a detective story); in documenting the first case of disease transmission, by blood transfusion. For more informations see my large comments in The Western Star (January 6th 2011; Woman's death in northern Italy is nation's 2nd fatal case of mad cow disease)
See also other relationships according to my web www.bse-expert.cz and recent presentation at 29th World Veterinary Congress in Vancouver;Neurodegenerative Diseases and Schizophrenia as a Hyper or Hypofunction of the NMDA Receptors.