31.10.2025 11:36
Years later, mad cow disease was observed in Turkey. While a preliminary diagnosis was made for a patient in Ankara, mad cow disease was detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient in Bolu through testing. Mad cow disease, which has no definitive and effective treatment, progressively worsens mental symptoms, ultimately leading the patient into a coma. The onset of symptoms can take decades.
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After being identified in the UK in 1986, the "mad cow disease" (BSE), which affected Europe in the 1990s, was seen in Turkey years later.
The first case was observed in a patient being treated at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital. It was learned that the patient was given a "preliminary diagnosis of mad cow disease." While laboratory tests are ongoing for a definitive diagnosis, the patient's condition is being closely monitored in the intensive care unit.
Following the developments in Ankara, a similar case was recorded in Bolu. A patient who presented to the hospital with complaints of sore throat, nausea, and dizziness was diagnosed with "mad cow disease" after examinations. Health teams isolated the patient in a separate area due to the risk of transmission. Authorities stated that the patient's treatment is being carried out in a controlled manner.
WHAT IS MAD COW DISEASE?
Mad cow disease, known in medical literature as "Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)," is a fatal disease caused by prions that affect the nervous system of animals. The human equivalent of this disease is known as Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). The disease is usually transmitted through the consumption of infected animal meats.
SYMPTOMS IN HUMANS
According to experts, the first symptoms of the disease in humans manifest as psychiatric changes. The main symptoms of mad cow disease are as follows:
- Personality changes, depression, and anxiety,
- Memory loss, thinking and concentration disorders,
- Speech disorders, language problems,
- Visual disturbances, blurred vision,
- Muscle twitching, involuntary movements, muscle loss,
- Walking and balance problems, difficulty in speaking or swallowing,
- Disruptions in sleep patterns, insomnia, or excessive sleepiness,
- In the later stages of the disease, loss of consciousness and coma.
INCUBATION PERIOD CAN LAST FOR DECADES
The incubation period of mad cow disease in humans is reported to be quite long. It is stated that it can take 10 years, and in some sources, even 20-30 years after exposure for the disease to show symptoms.
THERE IS NO TREATMENT FOR MAD COW DISEASE
Currently, there is no effective and definitive treatment for mad cow disease. As the disease progresses, the mental symptoms worsen, leading the patient to enter a coma. The CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has reported that "there is no specific treatment to stop or slow the progression after symptoms begin" for this disease.
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