This report from CAST characterizes the overall U.S. risk for the occurrence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly called “mad cow” disease, as extremely low. The report summarizes the latest information and disease statistics on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), a unique group of fatal diseases that can affect the nervous systems of animals and humans worldwide. Cochairs: William D. Hueston, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, and James L. Voss, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.

R136, October 2000, ISBN 1-887383-18-2, 36 pp., Available free online and in print (fee for shipping/handling).