Prion diseases including BSE in cattle and scrapie in sheep cause profound neurological suffering before death. Understanding these diseases and their welfare implications supports advocacy for prevention-focused policy.
Prion diseases cause some of the most prolonged neurological suffering in animal disease: affected animals progressively lose motor control, coordination, and cognition over months. Prevention through feed regulation and surveillance is far more welfare-effective than any treatment option. The BSE epidemic also illustrates how welfare-compromising practices — feeding animals to members of the same species — can create disease conditions that cause enormous suffering across entire industries.