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>Humorous but also somewhat true. I'm told what the cows have is infectious >to humans. causing Parkinsonism symptoms that rapidly progress to eventual >death. > >Also not somewhat true and a little bit too scary to go without comment.CJD(Creutzfelt Jacob disease)a human brain disorder which could not be confused with Parkinsons was first described in 1920 and is very rare.(?one in a million).A similar sort of disease has affected a large number of UK cattle from the early 80's but the cases are now diminishing.This is called BSE ( Bovine Spongiform Encephalytis). At one time it was thought that BSE could not pass the inter species barrier but the recent reognition of a slightly different form of CJD in about 20 deaths from CJD has cast doubts on the impossibility of transfer theory.It is thought not possible for BSE to be transfered by ordinary contact with cows but there is now a considered possibility ( not proven) of transfer through eating infected beef which might have entered the food chain before regulations were put in place to stop this.I believe that there are no reported cases in the USA or Canada.Lecture ended David Langridge.