Mad cow disease is causd by what type of poorly understood microorganism?

Mad cow disease is scientifically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE for short. BSE is caused by a mis-folded protein in the brain and spinal cord of cattle, so it is actually none of the above (virus, bacteria or protist). Prions are a novel form of disease infection distinct from the traditional three infectious routes identified in the early 1900s