An outbreak of mad cow disease shut down Britain’s cattle industry, resulting in the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of animals and costing the nation billions of dollars. What is mad cow disease, scientifically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy? Could an outbreak happen in the U.S.? What other types of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are out there? What precautions is the USDA taking to reduce the likelihood of occurrence and stem the spread of these degenerative neurological diseases among animals and people? And what might happen if those precautions fail? This program answers those and other questions as it sheds light on this emerging group of food-borne diseases. Chronic wasting disease, Norwalk virus, and bovine tuberculosis are also addressed. Correlates to the Health National Standards from the Joint Committee for National School Health Education and the American Cancer Society and the National Content Standards for Health according to the American School Health Association. A Cambridge Educational Production. (17 minutes)