Cameline spongiform encephalopathy

Scientists discovered a new type of TSE in dromedary camels in Algeria earlier this year.

Quote:

We detected a prion disease in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Algeria. Symptoms suggesting prion disease occurred in 3.1% of dromedaries brought for slaughter to the Ouargla abattoir in 2015–2016. We confirmed diagnosis by detecting pathognomonic neurodegeneration and disease-specific prion protein (PrPSc) in brain tissues from 3 symptomatic animals. Prion detection in lymphoid tissues is suggestive of the infectious nature of the disease. PrPSc biochemical characterization showed differences with BSE and scrapie. Our identification of this prion disease in a geographically widespread livestock species requires urgent enforcement of surveillance and assessment of the potential risks to human and animal health.

Very intriguing and frightening report. In particular, the hypotheses about its origin are interesting. For a few years after Britain stopped feeding meat-and-bone (MBM) to cattle in 1988 during the BSE crisis, apparently thousands of tons of the stuff was continued to be exported to the third world. Who knows where all of that hazardous waste ended up!

Then again it could be sporadic as well and we've just only now discovered it.

via International Skeptics Forum http://bit.ly/2EJOeqb