what does Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy mean

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a transmissible, degenerative, and fatal neurological disease affecting cattle. It is more commonly known as "mad cow disease" and is caused by abnormal prion proteins in the brain. The disease can be transmitted to humans through the consumption of contaminated meat, leading to a variant form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.