Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD), formerly known as New variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (nvCJD) and referred to colloquially as "mad cow disease" or "human mad cow disease" to distinguish it from its BSE counterpart, is a fatal type of brain disease within the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy family. Initial symptoms include psychiatric problems, behavioral changes, and painful sensations...