Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
Transmissible
spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)
CJD is a rare incurable disease of humans that affects
the nervous system and results in rapidly progressive dementia, loss of
motor control, paralysis, and death. It is one of several related
diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or TSEs for
short. The term "encephalopathy" means the brain is affected,
and the term "spongiform" refers to the microscopic holes seen
in the brain, giving it a sponge-like appearance.
Various animal species have distinct types of TSEs. In
addition to CJD which affects humans, other TSEs include bovine
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as "mad cow
disease"), scrapie in sheep, and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in
deer and elk.
CWD information for hunters (Exit DHS)
CJD is caused by a recently identified agent called a prion, that is a self-replicating
protein. The current theory is that the normal form of the
prion, found in all people, is converted into an abnormal form which
causes cell death and the resulting brain lesions.
General information
CJD,
TSE fact sheet (PDF,
24 KB)
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention Prion diseases - CDC (Exit DHS)
Information for health professionals
This is a Wisconsin Disease Surveillance Category II disease:
Report to
the patient's local public health department electronically, through the Wisconsin
Electronic Disease Surveillance System
(WEDSS), by mail or fax using an Acute and Communicable Disease Case
Report F44151 (PDF,
167 KB) or by other means within 72 hours upon recognition of a
case. DHS
Communicable Disease Reporting
Wisconsin case reporting
and public health follow-up guidelines: CJD,
TSE EpiNet (PDF, 39 KB)
Prion dementia information for Wisconsin medical providers (PDF,
27 KB)
Contacts
Wisconsin
Local Health Departments - Regional offices - Tribal agencies
PDF:
The free Adobe Reader® software is needed to view and
print portable document format (PDF) files. Learn
more
Last Revised:
January 24, 2013 |
