Prions
I remember that in the 90s, when &quot;mad cow disease&quot; was dominating the headlines, it was predicted that there would be an exponential increase in cases, decades down the line. The same point about prions being virtually indestructible was being made, the same concerns about surgical equipment and blood donations were raised.<p>Suffice it to say, the prion disaster did not materialize, so I&#x27;m skeptical about the same story being repeated almost verbatim today. My guess is that prions aren&#x27;t all that contagious after all, especially after basic food preparation measures.