The mad cow scare is just that. In sheep during the 40ties and 50ties it was called Steely Wool disease and they cured it in New Zeland by giving copper supplements to the sheep. In the north east America the deer population had it and the hunters not the goverment stopped the spread by puting out mineral salt blocks containing selenium and COPPER.

When the prions in the brain lose the copper tip the body replaces it with manganese. When the manganese is oxidized it flash burns leaving a hole burnt in the tissue causing the spongiformation of the brain.