Prion Diseases
By: Madi McGowan and Allie McKeehan
Information:
First Identified: In the 1730's, Scrapie, a disease that affects sheep and goats was discovered.
Symptoms of Prion Diseases:
-Aggression
- Personality Changes
-Anxiety and Depression
-Slurred Speech
-May become mute
-forgetfulness
-everyday skills could be lost
-disturbance in balance
-Jerky Movements
-Shakiness
-Difficulty Swallowing
-Double Vision
-Hallucinations
-Coritical Blindness
-Seizures
How is it Spread?
Prion diseases can be inherited, arise spontaneously, or can be found in contaminated food. They are not contagious.
Forms of these diseases:
-CJD
-vCJD
-Gersman-Straussler-Scheinker Syndrome
-Fatal Familial Insomnia
-Kuru
-BSE
-CWD
-Scrapie
These disease became more well known when Mad Cow Disease and Chronic Wasting Disease became more of an epidemic in cattle and deer in the UK and America. BSE/Mad Cow probably originated by feeding cattle meat/bone meal that contained BSE infected products from spontaneously occuring cases.
Prevention:
-Single-use kits for spinal taps
-Destruction of surgical tools used on the brain or nervous tissue.
-Restrictions on food supply, especially cattle.
-Vaccines and Insulin are monitored
Treatments:
-No cure for Prion diseases, only treatments for some symptoms, and most drugs are experimental.
-Quinacrine reduces growth of abnormal prion proteins.
-Pentosan Polysuphate (PPS) delays onset of prion diseases.
-Some medications can be used to aid with behavioral or sleep disturbances.