Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
for healthcare workers and morticians DESCRIPTION: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, fatal brain disorder caused by an unknown organism that can be experimentally transmitted from one animal to another, as well as from human patients to other animals. CJD affects both men and women, and most often appears in people ages 50 to 75. In the early stages of CJD, individuals may have failing memory, changes in behavior, lack of coordination, or visual disturbances. As the disease progresses, mental deterioration becomes pronounced, involuntary movements, especially muscle jerks, appear, and the patient may become blind, develop weakness in the arms or legs, and ultimately lapse into a coma. Symptoms of CJD may be similar to those of other progressive neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. NINDS scientists have recently developed a diagnostic test for CJD that will allow doctors to distinguish CJD from other neurological disorders. The low random incidence of CJD indicates that person-to-person transmission probably does not occur. Spouses of patients and other household members appear to be at no higher risk of contracting the disorder than the general population. There is no effective treatment for CJD. The disease usually leads to death within a year of onset. | |
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