Question

During the BSE crisis, France banned the sale of beef. What was the reason behind this decision?

1) To prevent the spread of BSE to humans
2) To protect the beef industry
3) To reduce the consumption of beef
4) To comply with international regulations

Answer 1

France banned the sale of beef during the BSE crisis to prevent the spread of the neurodegenerative disease BSE to humans, which causes variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) upon transmission.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the BSE crisis, France banned the sale of beef primarily to prevent the spread of BSE to humans. BSE, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as 'mad cow disease,' is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that is caused by prions and can be transmitted to humans, leading to a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).

Variant CJD is also a fatal degenerative brain disorder that can be acquired by consuming beef from animals infected with BSE. Given the danger of BSE to human health and that it can also be spread from human to human by blood, France, along with other countries, took proactive measures to safeguard the population from potential exposure. These measures included banning the sale of beef and restricting blood donations from regions associated with BSE to manage the health risks.