Clinical signs of mad cow disease are similar to which condition?

Mad cow disease, known scientifically as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), is part of a group of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which are caused by prions. The clinical signs of mad cow disease, such as changes in behavior, coordination issues, and movement abnormalities, share similarities with Scrapie, a TSE that affects sheep and goats.

Both conditions involve neurodegeneration and lead to progressive and severe neurological changes. The symptoms manifest due to the accumulation of abnormal prion proteins in the brain, resulting in spongiosis and ultimately, behavioral alterations and motor dysfunction. This similarity in the underlying pathology and clinical manifestations makes Scrapie the condition that most closely resembles mad cow disease when evaluating clinical signs.

In contrast, the other options listed do not have the same prion-induced pathophysiology. Chronic wasting disease primarily affects deer and elk and leads to different symptoms, while Feline infectious peritonitis and Foot and mouth disease are unrelated viral infections that present with distinct clinical signs not associated with the neurological dysfunction seen in prion diseases.