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Quiz about Mad Cow Disease
Quiz about Mad Cow Disease

Mad Cow Disease Trivia Quiz


You've heard about it on the news, perhaps while munching a hamburger. What do you know about the reality?

A multiple-choice quiz by crisw. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
crisw
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
196,187
Updated
Aug 25 22
# Qns
20
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
13 / 20
Plays
2106
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 20
1. The causative agent of mad cow disease is probably a prion. What is a prion? Hint


Question 2 of 20
2. Mad cow disease is the only prion disease known to affect humans.


Question 3 of 20
3. Mad cow disease is a member of a group of diseases called TSEs. What does TSE stand for? Hint


Question 4 of 20
4. What is the proper scientific acronym for mad cow disease? Hint


Question 5 of 20
5. Which of the following animals is NOT known to host a disease similar to mad cow? Hint


Question 6 of 20
6. What is the human variant of mad cow disease called? Hint


Question 7 of 20
7. Which is NOT a symptom of mad cow disease in cows? Hint


Question 8 of 20
8. What types of tissues carry the greatest risk of spreading mad cow disease to people? Hint


Question 9 of 20
9. What is the prevalent theory of how cows developed mad cow disease? Hint


Question 10 of 20
10. In the United States, tissues that hold the highest risk of passing on mad cow disease may not be fed to animals.


Question 11 of 20
11. What percentage of slaughtered cattle in the US are tested for mad cow disease? Hint


Question 12 of 20
12. Some cases of human mad cow disease may be misdiagnosed as what other disease? Hint


Question 13 of 20
13. There is a vaccine for mad cow disease in cows.


Question 14 of 20
14. What must be done to destroy the agent that causes mad cow disease? Hint


Question 15 of 20
15. Cooking meat until well-done is a very important step in preventing the transmission of mad cow disease.


Question 16 of 20
16. What is not a symptom of mad cow disease in people? Hint


Question 17 of 20
17. Once symptoms show, human mad cow disease is always fatal.


Question 18 of 20
18. In December of 2003, Dave Louthan slaughtered a cow in Washington that later tested positive for mad cow disease. What happened to Mr. Louthan? Hint


Question 19 of 20
19. Which is NOT considered to be a possible mode of transmission of mad cow disease in humans? Hint


Question 20 of 20
20. In the United States, what group possibly faces the danger of a prion disease related to mad cow disease? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The causative agent of mad cow disease is probably a prion. What is a prion?

Answer: An abnormal protein

It is theorized that the prions of mad cow disease are abnormally folded, and somehow induce normal nerve cell proteins to fold abnormally as well. The abnormal proteins do not work as they should in the nerve cell, and tend to clump together. The body's immune cells attempt to remove them, but cannot break them down. Eventually, the cells rupture and spread the prions even further.

This process also leads to the nerve tissue becoming riddled with tiny holes.
2. Mad cow disease is the only prion disease known to affect humans.

Answer: False

The first identified human prion disease was kuru, which affected the cannibalistic Fore tribe of New Guinea, and was spread by complicated rituals in which the brains of ancestors were eaten.
3. Mad cow disease is a member of a group of diseases called TSEs. What does TSE stand for?

Answer: Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy

"Transmissible" means able to be passed from one organism to another, "spongiform" refers to the holes it makes in nervous tissue, and "encephalopathy" means a brain disease.
4. What is the proper scientific acronym for mad cow disease?

Answer: BSE

BSE stands for "bovine spongiform encephalopathy." "Bovine" means "related to cows;" the rest of the etymology is as for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.
5. Which of the following animals is NOT known to host a disease similar to mad cow?

Answer: Pig

Sheep suffer from scrapie, which was probably the origin of BSE. Deer in the US suffer from chronic wasting disease, which many suspect may be passed on to deer hunters. Captive-raised mink suffer from transmissible mink encephalopathy, which may have been acquired from scrapie-infected sheep.
6. What is the human variant of mad cow disease called?

Answer: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Specifically, it is called new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or nvCJD, as other forms of CJD exist.
7. Which is NOT a symptom of mad cow disease in cows?

Answer: Uncontrollable aggression

Despite being called "mad" cow disease, aggression is not a symptom. Affected animals lose their appetites, drool, stagger, seem afraid of everything, and eventually are paralyzed and die.
8. What types of tissues carry the greatest risk of spreading mad cow disease to people?

Answer: Tissues from the nervous system

As BSE infects the nervous system, nerve tissues are the most dangerous. It is also recommended not to use eyes, spleen, thymus, lymph glands or intestines in human food. Most cases of mad cow in people probably arose either from consuming brains, or from contamination of hamburger with nerve tissue.
9. What is the prevalent theory of how cows developed mad cow disease?

Answer: From being fed sick sheep or cows

Sheep carry a TSE called scrapie. In the 1980's, scrapie-infected sheep were ground up and processed into cattle feed, thus possibly infecting cows. Cows were also fed to cows, and another theory is that BSE was a naturally-occurring disease in cows that was amplified in this fashion.
10. In the United States, tissues that hold the highest risk of passing on mad cow disease may not be fed to animals.

Answer: False

They may not be fed to ruminants (cows, sheep and goats) but are processed into pig, poultry and pet foods. Both domestic and zoo carnivores in Europe have contracted BSE through this route.
11. What percentage of slaughtered cattle in the US are tested for mad cow disease?

Answer: Less than 1%

In the US, about 35,000,000 cattle are killed every year. Only about 113,000 are tested for BSE, or about .3% and test results are not returned until the animal has already entered the human food chain. In contrast, Japan tests 100% of slaughtered cattle. The US beef industry has strenuously opposed such testing in the US.
12. Some cases of human mad cow disease may be misdiagnosed as what other disease?

Answer: Alzheimer's disease

Some studies of the brains of Alzheimer's patients have shown that significant percentages had some type of CJD, although not necessarily nvCJD.
13. There is a vaccine for mad cow disease in cows.

Answer: False

The only prevention is to not feed animal parts to cows.
14. What must be done to destroy the agent that causes mad cow disease?

Answer: Incineration

Only incineration at extremely high temperatures will destroy the prions.
15. Cooking meat until well-done is a very important step in preventing the transmission of mad cow disease.

Answer: False

Normal cooking temperatures do not affect the prions at all.
16. What is not a symptom of mad cow disease in people?

Answer: Wild bursts of activity

People with nvCJD may first show psychiatric problems, often paranoia, and memory loss. As the disease progresses, they have problems with speech, hearing and other senses, as well as loss of coordination. Finally, they lapse into a coma and die. Lifespan after diagnosis is not usually more than a year.
17. Once symptoms show, human mad cow disease is always fatal.

Answer: True

It is inexorably progressive, and no treatments halt its destruction of the nervous system.
18. In December of 2003, Dave Louthan slaughtered a cow in Washington that later tested positive for mad cow disease. What happened to Mr. Louthan?

Answer: All of these

He has appeared on many radio and TV shows to talk about how he feels beef industry practices may endanger human health.
19. Which is NOT considered to be a possible mode of transmission of mad cow disease in humans?

Answer: Close personal contact with someone with the disease

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there is no evidence that nvCJD has been spread by personal contact. Prions could be spread from vaccines produced with contaminated human or animal tissue, from blood transfusions, or the use of contaminated fats (tallows) in cosmetics.
20. In the United States, what group possibly faces the danger of a prion disease related to mad cow disease?

Answer: Deer hunters

Many deer, elk and moose in the US are infected with chronic wasting disease, a TSE. While no research confirms transmission of this disease to humans, no research shows that it does not happen.
Source: Author crisw

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