Have Creutzfeldt-Jakob (CJD)?
Introduction
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is also known as "Mad Cow disease" and is caused by a prion that affects the brain and its functions. This disease is caused by the spreading by direct and intimate contact with infected tissues, and if this isn't the case, then the cause would be unknown. Currently, there isn't a cure for this disease but there are several clinical trials to create a vaccine.
Signs and symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (Mad Cow disease)
CJD or "Mad Cow disease" is a highly fatal disease that has some severe symptoms as the disease progresses. The symptoms are;
1) Damage to the nervous system (like depression and loss of coordination)
2) As the disease progresses, it is usual that the victim will develop dementia.
When the disease reaches to an extremely fatal stage, this is the only time that damage to the brain can be detected by MRI.
Mad Cow disease in 2003
CJD
This picture shows the disease and describes how it affects the brain.
CJD example
This picture is a picture of two brains (one on the left is affected by CJD and the one on the right is a normal brain).
Prevention of CJD
This disease can be very difficult to prevent because it can sometimes occur for no particular reason and there is no possible way to figure out how to get the spreading of the disease to stop. It is also possible to get the disease from touching an infected tissue, but with this way of contamination, there is a way to prevent the contracting of this disease, which would be to stay away from any tissue from the body that is infected.