5 Answers

Mad cow disease has been in the headlines in recent years. While a serious illness, it primarily affects cattle and, possibly, other animals, like goats and sheep. The medical name for mad cow disease is bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE for short.

BSE is an incurable fatal brain disease. It is called mad cow disease because it affects a cow's nervous system, causing the animal to act strangely and lose control of its ability to do normal things, such as walk.

Yes they use the term "mad" to mean not having good  control of their brain.  And this disease is a virus which attacks the central nervous system and disables their ability to perform successful brain functions.  When some material of that sick animal is eaten by other mammals, as in scavengers, or intentionally by eating brain, or adding "animal by-products" to animal feeds, it is passed on to infect others.  By the way, most animal by-products are now banned because of the discovery of this disease.  People can still get it by eating brains of animals.  Cannibalistic tribes probably had this disease in their populations, as they may have eaten infected brains. 

Not sure .Have to ask the mother-in-law (only kidding.Its not very nice on the poor animals.

A neighbor of mine went to Mexico on vacation and ate beef while there. She contracted mad cow disease and died a very slow death. She was young and had two children. This is nothing to be made fun of.

Because it's not a happy heifer!....(sorry...I could not resist!!!)...(: