Are there inter-relationships between the BSE and transmissible mink encephalopathy? Did BSE exist before 1985?

Transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) occurs following inoculation of inf ected tissue from cattle with clinical BSE. After intracerebral inoculation of brain homogenate from mink with TME of calves six weeks of age, clinica l signs of BSE appeared 18 to 19 months later. The feeding of brain fi-om t he affected calves to mink resulted in clinical disease 7 months after expo sure. The mink prion gene contains the sequence for the synthesis of the ce llular prion protein (PrPc) comprising 257 amino acids and which has 87% ho mology with the PrPc of cattle. Clinical BSE occurred before 1985 in variou s countries including the former GDR.