mad cow disease is harmless   (link)

http://www.techcentralstation.com/122903F.html
BSE is not proven to be transmittable to humans, and not even highly contagious among cows, unless they are fed other infected ruminants. This is not done anymore. The only reason this is news is because "EarthSave, PETA, PCRM, and the Seventh-Day Adventist website have seized upon the opportunity to frighten people into behaving in ways they find ideologically delightful"