Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s Disease

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s disease is a brain disorder that leads to dementia and eventually death. The disease is degenerative, which causes 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 process. 
• 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 to make the patient feel more comfortable.

• There is no way to prevent sporadic CJD and if you have a family history that puts you at a higher risk, you could 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. You can prevent BSE by 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.