2 in Oregon die of rare brain disease
a year ago
- #Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- #public health
- #prion disease
- Two people in Hood River County have died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).
- Three cases of CJD have been identified in the last eight months, with one confirmed by autopsy and two presumptive diagnoses.
- CJD is a rare, fatal brain disorder caused by prions, leading to rapid dementia, movement disorders, and behavioral changes.
- The disease is not typically spread person-to-person except through organ/tissue transplants or exposure to contaminated tissue.
- About 85% of CJD cases are sporadic (no clear cause), while most others are hereditary.
- Diagnosis requires post-mortem examination of brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid, which can take months.
- Hood River County cases are not linked to mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy).
- Health providers are advised to consider CJD in patients with rapidly progressing Alzheimer’s-like symptoms or cognitive decline.