The Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is an uncommon neurodegenerative disorder that damages brain cells and creates small holes in the brain. One person in every million is affected by this brain condition every year worldwide. In the United States, about 350 CJD cases are recorded each year.
Typically, CJD symptoms appear at the age of 60, and the person is more likely to die within one year. During the first stages of this brain disorder, an individual may suffer from memory loss, behavioral change, and difficulty controlling the body.
The Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease came from a wide group of diseases from humans and animals referred to as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). A certain abnormal kind of a protein known as prion causes CJD and TSEs. Usually, these proteins don’t impose threats, but they become dangerous and harmful if deformed.
TSE in humans includes fatal familial insomnia, kuru, and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome. Meanwhile, scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy are examples of TSE in animals.
The possibility of CJD transmission is low. It can’t be transferred through the air and sexual contact. On the other hand, brain tissues and spinal cord fluids from CJD patients shouldn’t be exposed to avoid the risk of transmission.
