Information in this article comes directly from International Meat Crisis, by Vance Ferrell, Harvestime Books, 2001.

It's a pretty sad story; one that began in Papua New Guinea. It was the 1950's and scientists were concerned about a bizarre brain-wasting disease killing a local tribe.  Called Kuru, investigators learned that the disease was infectious, and transmitted through the Fore tribe's tradition of eating dead people. 

The Executive Summary:   

From New Guinea, the disease migrated to Great Britain and the western hemisphere.  In animals, it's called either Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, cattle), or Scrapie (sheep).  In humans, it's called  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, or CJD. All of these names are commonly referred to as "Mad Cow disease."

So, what is it?  It's not a virus, it's not bacterial, it's not a fungi, and it's not a parasite; it's something far worse.  It's actually just a protein that's just like those in our bodies, but with a critical difference.  They're folded differently.  They're called prions (pronounced pree-ahns).  They enter the body's cells and corrupt the normal proteins.  They result in changes within the brain that create holes, turning your mind into something resembling a sponge.

So, since their birth via cannibals on an island in the Indian Ocean, prions are now virtually everywhere.  They're in our livestock, they're in our croplands, and -- scarily -- labs won't even test for them.  Why not?  Because you can only destroy prions by heat that's at least 800 degrees Fahrenheit.  That means if they're discovered in a lab, pretty much the only way to disinfect it is to burn it to the ground.

Evidence is suggesting that prions may be a significant cause of Alzheimers, as well as a staggering number of other diseases.

Bottom line?  This isn't your grandmother's planet anymore.  It's just one of the many reasons we advocate a vegetarian or vegan diet.