Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s disease is a brain disorder that leads to dementia and eventually death.
• The disease is degenerative, which is the progressive impairment of structural and functional parts of the body.
   

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s Disease can be found worldwide.
• It is fairly rare with only one diagnosed case per million people every year.
   

• It is believed that the cause of Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s Disease is abnormal versions of a protein called prion.
• Prion becomes infectious and disturbs normal biological processes. 
• Fortunately, the risk of having this disease is rare and it is not contagious by normal contact.
• There have been some instances of infection by skin transplants, also known as iatrogenic CJD.
• Variant CJD is related to eating infected beef with BSE (mad cow disease). 
• Causes can also be related to family history or by chance.
   

Symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s Disease are similar to other brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. Others include:

• Impaired thinking
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Difficulty speaking
• Memory loss
• Changes in personality

Symptoms will worsen over time.
 

• Unfortunately, there is no cure for Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s Disease.
• There are drugs that can help reduce pain and other symptoms in hopes to make the patient feel comfortable.
   

• There is no way to prevent sporadic CJD
• If you have a family history that puts you at a higher risk, talk to a genetics expert.
• Medical establishments follow strict policies for safety and prevention of iatrogenic CJD.
   

• There is no cure for BSE or Mad Cow Disease.
• Ways to prevent BSE are avoiding, isolating and destroying any infected animal.

• In the United States, only 3 cows have been reported to have Mad Cow Disease, whereas in Canada, there have been 19 reported cases.