[Spongiform encephalopathies (prionoses) in animals]

Spongiform encephalopathies constitute a growing group of diseases of the central nervous system which, contrary to other neurodegenerative processes, can be transferred experimentally from one animal species to another. They can develop spontaneously on a hereditary familial basis, the conform prion protein developing in the posttranslation process having the character of in infectious agent initiating the degeneration of nerve cells. The mechanism of such as infection differs from other infectious diseases. The bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent, discovered in Great Britain in 1985 has an extensive zoonosis potential and has overcome the interspecies barriers. The key problem in spongiform encephalopathies of animals is the definitive explanation of their etiology, pathogenesis, intravital diagnosis as well as interspecies relationships. (Tab. 5, Ref. 11.)