[Herbivore or carnivore? History of prions]

Transmissible subacute spongiform encephalopathies have been known for some times in man and in animals, but were considered of minor importance up to the development of the mad cow crisis. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy raises questions about nowadays farming and brings up the issue of cannibalism as a whole and imposed upon an herbivore. Even if the word cannibalism may seem excessive in the case of cattle, it is however true that BSE spreads from cow to cow through their feeding with meat and bone meal contaminated with infected bovine material. More generally this points out the problem of cannibalism among animal species.