MAD COW DISEASE RELATED TO PESTICIDES?

An amateur British scientist's belief that mad cow disease is caused by cattle being exposed to the metal manganese and a common insecticide has gained acceptance from members of Britain's scientific community.

It is widely believed that variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease - the human form of mad cow disease - is caused by eating BSE-infected beef. But Mr Purdey believes high levels of manganese in the environment and exposure to the pesticide phosmet don't just affect cows, but also make people susceptible to CJD.
World Net April 24 2001