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Mad Cow Disease Trivia Quiz

This quiz is about Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly known as Mad Cow Disease. Have fun!

A multiple-choice quiz by Ginger6161. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
Ginger6161

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
172,484

Updated
Apr 23 24

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
1975

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. When was the first case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or BSE, diagnosed in the United States? Hint

December 2003

November 2003

January 2004

October 2003

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Question 2 of 10

2. Can cow's milk transmit BSE?

Yes

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Question 3 of 10

3. In which of the following parts of a cow has the BSE agent not been found? Hint

Muscle tissue

Retina

Spinal cord

Brain tissue

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Question 4 of 10

4. Humans can't get BSE from eating contaminated beef. However, a human eating BSE-contaminated beef might get a disease similar to which of these diseases? Hint

Scrapie

Parkinson's Disease

Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease

Alzheimer's Disease

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Question 5 of 10

5. The majority of reported BSE cases have occurred in which country? Hint

The Netherlands

France

Canada

The United Kingdom

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Question 6 of 10

6. What is the incubation period for BSE among cattle? Hint

2 to 8 years

3 to 6 years

6 months to 1 year

11 to 13 years

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Question 7 of 10

7. The cause of the epidemic was feeding cows with supplements created from other, infected, cows.

True

False

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which part of cattle does BSE affect? Hint

The endocrine system

The digestive system

The nervous system

The respiratory system

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which of the following is not a typical symptom of BSE? Hint

Decreased milk production

Weight gain

Aggression

Nervousness

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Question 10 of 10

10. At the height of the epidemic, a test was developed to detect BSE in a live animal.

True

False

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. When was the first case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or BSE, diagnosed in the United States?

Answer: December 2003

The cow was diagnosed in Washington State, but was purchased from a Canadian farm in 2001.

2. Can cow's milk transmit BSE?

Answer: No

Even if a cow happens to be infected with BSE, its milk can't transmit the disease to humans.

3. In which of the following parts of a cow has the BSE agent not been found?

Answer: Muscle tissue

The BSE agent has also never been found in milk.

4. Humans can't get BSE from eating contaminated beef. However, a human eating BSE-contaminated beef might get a disease similar to which of these diseases?

Answer: Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease

Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (CJD) is a fatal, slowly progressive infection. People who have CJD generally show symptoms of dementia, and they sometimes have muscle spasms. It is believed that a variant of CJD (vCJD) may develop in a human who has eaten BSE-contaminated meat. There have been over 150 reported cases of this variant form of CJD around the world.

5. The majority of reported BSE cases have occurred in which country?

Answer: The United Kingdom

Over 97% of all BSE cases have been found in the United Kingdom!

6. What is the incubation period for BSE among cattle?

Answer: 2 to 8 years

In humans, vCJD (see question 4) has an incubation period of around 13 years.

7. The cause of the epidemic was feeding cows with supplements created from other, infected, cows.

Answer: True

Although cattle are herbivores, they were fed with a powder made from left over meat not deemed fit for human consumption. This practice led to the disease developing unseen for several years.

8. Which part of cattle does BSE affect?

Answer: The nervous system

BSE is a progressive disease that affects the cow's nervous system. All cattle who become infected with BSE will die from it. Unfortunately, there is no treatment or vaccine.

9. Which of the following is not a typical symptom of BSE?

Answer: Weight gain

Other symptoms include weight loss and unusual posture.

10. At the height of the epidemic, a test was developed to detect BSE in a live animal.

Answer: False

A veterinarian can detect BSE by examining brain tissue from a dead animal, or by looking for an abnormal protein in the body. Even many years later, no reliable test has become available.

Source: Author Ginger6161

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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