Description
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- Creutzfeldt or 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.
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LocatioN
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- Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s Disease can be found worldwide.
- It is fairly rare, with only one diagnosed case per million people every year.
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Cause
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- 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.
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Symptoms
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- 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.
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Treatment
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- 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.
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Prevention
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- There is no way to prevent sporadic CJD, but 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.
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Handling
Animals
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- There is no cure for BSE or Mad Cow Disease.
- Ways to prevent BSE are avoiding, isolating and destroying any infected animal.
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Other Facts
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- In the United States, only 3 cows have been reported to have Mad Cow Disease, whereas in Canada, there have been 19 reported cases.
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