[Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; one year later]

During the last year the knowledge of the transmission of prion diseases has increased. New diagnostic methods were developed: investigation of cerebrospinal fluid for the 14-3-3 protein and tonsillar biopsy to detect protease resistant prion protein. Indirect evidence of a causal relation between new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJ) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is accumulating, although epidemiological data do not indicate that the incidence of CJ is increasing.