Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Central nervous system

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Alternative Names:

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy; vCJD; CJD

Prevention:

Risk of transfer of the organism on equipment or tissue is minimized by the health care provider. Treatment equipment is sterilized to kill organisms that may cause the disease. Medical histories of potential cornea donors that indicate a history of diagnosed or possible Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease rule out the use of those corneas for transplantation.

Most countries now have strict guidelines for management of infected cows and strict restrictions regarding what they are fed, to avoid the potential for transmission of CJD to humans.

References:

Llewelyn CA, Hewitt PE, et al. Possible transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by blood transfusion. Lancet 2004;363:417-421.

Peden AH, Head MW, et al. Preclinical vCJD after blood transfusion in a PRNP codon 129 heterozygous patient. Lancet 2004;264:527-529.

Brown P, Will RG, Bradley R, Asher DM, Detwiler L. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Background, Evolution, and Current Concerns. EID. January-February 2001; 7(1):6-16.

Noble J. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2001:1551-1569.

Review Date: 10/17/2005
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. editorial and Kevin Sheth, M.D., Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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