[Relation between slow virus infection of animals and man, their pathogenicity and resistance to therapy]

Besides conventional slow viruses, a category of pathogens exist, called "unconventional slow viruses". The latter evoke laughing death syndrome, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (resp. its special form of Gerstmann-Sträussler's syndrome) in man, in animal scrapie, infectious encephalopathy of the mink, and chronic wasting disease. They all are relatives, and their characteristics are longtime incubation, lacking immune reactions, high chemical and physical resistance, no proof of nucleic acids till now, a lacking proof in electron microscopy as well as a ceasing change of infectivity by immunologic manipulations. Of a special importance is the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease as a iatrogenely contagious illness, be it in consequence of a surgical intervention or of a human growth hormone administered (resp. transplants).