Warning Signs Of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, degenerative, and fatal brain disorder, and only one individual in a million contracts the disease worldwide. Most victims are around sixty years old when they start showing symptoms, and most die within a year. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease belongs to a family of diseases called prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). A prion is a misshapen protein that causes degenerative diseases of the brain in humans and animals. 'Spongiform' describes the characteristic look of affected brains: the prions eat holes in them until they resemble sponges.