|
Definition of Mad cow disease
1. Noun. A fatal disease of cattle that affects the central nervous system; causes staggering and agitation.
Definition of Mad cow disease
1. Noun. (colloquial) bovine spongiform encephalopathy ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Medical Definition of Mad cow disease
1. A new disease of cattle, first reported in 1986 in Great Britain, characterised clinically by apprehensive behaviour, hyperesthesia, and ataxia and histopathologically by spongiform changes in the gray-matter neuropil of the brain stem; it is thought to be caused by an agent, possibly a prion, similar to that observed as the cause of scrapie. Synonym: mad cow disease. (05 Mar 2000)