transmissible spongiform encephalopathy

Dictionary Entries Near TSE

Cite this Entry

“TSE.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/TSE. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

TSE

abbreviation or noun
: transmissible spongiform encephalopathy
The causative agent of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) or prion diseases, which include sheep scrapie, mad cow disease, and human variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), is still hotly debated.Suzette A. Priola et al., Science
While the methods of transmission of TSEs are not well understood … the effects of the diseases are the same whether the victim is sheep, deer, cow or human. The brain slowly erodes, with holes developing that give the organ a "spongy" appearance …Shannon Thompkins, The Houston Chronicle
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