Camel spongiform encephalopathy (CSE), commonly known as mad camel disease, is similar to
mad cow disease. It was discovered by the Algerian veterinarian Baaissa Babelhadj, Lecturer-researcher Semir Bechir Suheil GAOUAR (university of Tlemcen) and a colleague in
Ouargla, in collaboration with Italian researchers.
This infection is a form of
prion
Prions are misfolded proteins that have the ability to transmit their misfolded shape onto normal variants of the same protein. They characterize several fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative diseases in humans and many other animals. It ...
disease (
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, TSE) that affects camels.
Some signs and symptoms which have been observed in adult
dromedaries
The dromedary (''Camelus dromedarius'' or ;), also known as the dromedary camel, Arabian camel, or one-humped camel, is a large even-toed ungulate, of the genus ''Camelus'', with one hump on its back.
It is the tallest of the three species of ...
during antemortem examinations include weight loss, tremors, aggressiveness, hyperreactivity, hesitant and uncertain gait, ataxia of hind limbs, occasional falls, and difficulty getting up. The early stages of the condition are mainly characterized by behavioral signs, such as loss of appetite, irritability, and aggressiveness. As the disease progresses, neurological signs become more apparent and animals start exhibiting ataxia that leads to recumbency and death. The signs and symptoms of this condition progress slowly, and the disease lasts for 3–8 months.
References
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies
Foodborne illnesses
{{nervoussystem-disease-stub