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Summary
Laboratory studies confirm Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) can transmit to animals. However, evidence for natural CJD transmission or the spread of other degenerative nervous diseases remains limited.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a degenerative nervous system disorder.
- Laboratory transmission of CJD to animals is established.
- Questions remain regarding natural CJD transmission and infectivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the possibility of natural transmission of CJD.
- To investigate the infectivity of CJD.
- To determine if other degenerative nervous diseases are transmissible.
Main Methods:
- Epidemiological studies of CJD cases.
- Experimental transmission studies in animals.
- Review of existing research on CJD and Alzheimer's disease.
Main Results:
- Epidemiological studies suggest possible CJD clusters and links to prior craniotomies.
- No definitive evidence of natural CJD infection has been found.
- Experimental transmission of CJD to animals from Alzheimer's disease material is reported in a few instances.
- No evidence exists for the transmission of other degenerative nervous diseases.
Conclusions:
- While CJD is transmissible to animals in laboratory settings, natural transmission is not confirmed.
- Current evidence does not support the transmission of other degenerative neurological diseases.