Not “mad cow disease”, but CJD. “Mad Cow Disease” specifically refers to the variant form that is said to have been caused by prions from infected animals turn

Not “mad cow disease”, but CJD. “Mad Cow Disease” specifically refers to the variant form that is said to have been caused by prions from infected animals turning up in beef products. Though in fact all we know for sure about the link there is that it’s the same prion in the cattle and human cases; the suggestion that there’s a direct food chain connection is still only considered very likely, not proven.