Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy. A family of diseases sharing some common characteristics, including a prolonged incubation period ranging from a few months to years and progressively debilitating neurological illnesses, which are always fatal. Examples of other TSEs include scrapie (sheep and goats), chronic wasting disease (deer and elk), feline spongiform encephalopathy (cats), kuru (humans), Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (humans), and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (humans).
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, a disease of the neurological system causing spongy degeneration of the brain with progressive dementia. Examples in humans include CJD and kuru and among animals include scrapie and BSE. (see BSE and vCJD)