WANTED FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANKIND
CANNIBAL CALAMITY
KURU
This nasty disease is classified as a prion disease, and it is a very nasty ailment. caused by the miss-folding of proteins. Very small and looks like the images below
WHY SO DANGEROUS?
Normal vs Infected
Know The Difference
What To Be On The Lookout For
ORIGIN AND EFFECTS
Kuru originated in Papua New Guinea as a result of cannibals in the area. In the area it became an epidemic due to the amount of cannibalistic tribes at the time. It made its way from person to person through the consumption of infected brain and spinal tissue. The disease is extremely fatal, and is not curable. The natives of the area nicknamed it "Laughing Death" as the infected became mentally ill developing dementia before eventually dying over the course of three months to a year.
The Science Behind the Spread
Infected prions are spread through direct contact. When a miss-folded protein "bumps" into a normal protein, the normal protein becomes miss-folded, causing the disease to have an exponential spread pattern. As stated earlier the disease is then spread from person to person by the consumption of brain tissue. Humans are typically the most infected. If you or someone you know is suffering from symptoms, please contact the center for disease control through the number below.
Website: http://www.cdc.gov/
Phone: 800-232-4636
Cites and References
Kusinitz, Marc. "Kuru." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 5th ed. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2014. Science in Context. Web. 25 May 2016.
"Prion." World of Biology. Gale, 2006. Science in Context. Web. 25 May 2016.