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Conditions
Nervous system diseases
Degenerative nerve diseases
Prion diseases

Prion diseases

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Prion diseases are so called "slow virus" conditions caused by misformed and contagious proteins, which act like viruses in the brain. Conditions include Mad Cow Disease in cattle and a similar disease called Creutzfeldt_Jakob disease in humans.

Dr. Robert Kwok reviewed this

35 year experience in Pediatrics

Is a type of:

Brain and spinal infections • Degenerative nerve diseases

How long it usually lasts:

Chronic (lasts years to lifelong)

How common it is:

Very rare

Body locations

Head

Types of

CJD
Condition
VCJD
Condition

Symptoms

Balance problems
Confusion
Poor coordination
Loss of coordination
Visual changes
Load more

Medications

Ratings show how effective doctors think these medications are at treating Prion diseases
Benzodiazepine
Antipsychotics
SSRI
Pain medicine

Other treatments

Supportive care

Tests

EEG

Related questions

A 37-year old asked:

Describe prion diseases?

2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

A 26-year old male asked:

How common are prion diseases?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 32-year old male asked:

What is the definition or description of: Prion diseases?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 47-year old asked:

Are the prion diseases going to ever cause a pandemic?

2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

A 40-year old asked:

Can you get prion diseases by eating anything other than brains?

2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

A 33-year old asked:

What are the symptoms of a prion disease?

3 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

A 53-year old asked:

How can prion diseases be prevented?

2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in

A 32-year old asked:

What is the most common way a person gets a prion disease?

2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

A 26-year old male asked:

How do i make sure i never get a prion disease? Saw something about it on tv and they look horrifying

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 26-year old male asked:

Are prion diseases more common among people who hunt and eat what they kill? (Due to the meat not being tested for disease)

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 28-year old male asked:

Have we gotten ahead of the game on prion diseases? Or are prion diseases likely to be major social/public health problems down the road?

2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

A 26-year old male asked:

Does the fact that ive ate meat from hunted deer in the past put me at risk of developing a prion disease in the future?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 92-year old asked:

How do I know if I am at risk for prion disease? Pet scan?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 35-year old asked:

I'm afraid of getting a prion disease. How can I prevent this?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 23-year old male asked:

I had spinal tap to check for prion diseases. During procedure blood or fluid came out, If I touched area after, could that travel to family i touched?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 42-year old asked:

Could organ and blood donation cause prion disease?

2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

A 42-year old asked:

Do all prion diseases predominately affect the brain or also the spinal cord and nerves?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 20-year old male asked:

Medical student here, dropped my ID in an anatomy dissection room and it came into contact with objects and other people without being disinfected. I'm concerned it may transmit prion diseases if people eat, drink after touching this. This a risk?

1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in

A 21-year old male asked:

Is it possible that Alzheimer's and many other dementias are a prion disease since the real cause has never been determined?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 20-year old male asked:

Medical student here, dropped medical ID in Anatomy dissection room, it came into contact with objects and people without being disinfected. Concerned if prion disease transmission is possible if people eat, drink after touching this. This a risk?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 21-year old male asked:

Med student, Dropped my ID in Anatomy dissection room and it came into contact with objects when ID was not disinfected. Very concerned about prion disease transmission to people eating, not washing their hands after exposure to this. Is it a risk??

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 21-year old male asked:

Dropped my ID in Anatomy dissection room, it wasn't disinfected and came into contact with objects, people who ate and drank without washing their hands after exposure to this. Very very concerned about prion disease transmission. Is it a risk? Help?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 21-year old male asked:

Medical student, dropped my ID in Anatomy dissection room and it came into contact with objects, people who ate and drank without washing their hands after exposure-ID not disinfected Very concerned about prion disease transmission. Is it a risk??

1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in

A 29-year old female asked:

Prion diseases can be passed through sexual contact and through saliva. I believe someone passed me sporadic familial insomnia prions through sexual oral contact. They have every symptom and now I cant sleep and have jerks as well. Im always tired.

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 28-year old male asked:

I have been suffering from insomnia the past 2 months. Sleep study results were normal. Does that rule out serious brain diseases e.g. a prion disease?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 25-year old female asked:

My clothes and underwear came in contact with raw meat , washing them with warm water (90-100 Fahrenheit which is the highest temp in my washer) in washing machine is enough? I am concerned about Prion disease and Cjd? Would you please respond?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 29-year old female asked:

What disease can someone give you through saliva or semen that causes CNS to be attacked as well as anxiety, depression and chronic insomnia? Can this be a prion disease? My eyes are always red and I cant sleep for nothing! I look like zombie!

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 43-year old asked:

Is alzheimer's disease related to prions?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 31-year old female asked:

Can cancer or other diseases live in cremains, after cremation? I've heard bovine spongiform encephalopathy prions are said too. Anything else?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 41-year old female asked:

When cjd is such a rare disease, why would a doctor declare a cjd diagnosis without a biopsy? Father had seizures, false positive prion test, dementia

3 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in

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