Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

When discussing preventative measures for CJD, one has to look at two things: the measures countries take to prevent bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the medical name for mad cow disease, and what individuals can do to lower their risk of eating infected beef.

So little is known about this disease that science cannot pinpoint causation very well. The Prion theory is bizarre, but medically accepted, as a causative theory for classic CJD.

For variant CJD, there are a number of risk factors, most of them relatively rare. However one of them could potentially affect large numbers of people, and that is eating beef infected with mad cow disease.

According to the Mayo Clinic, CJD is not spread by a virus or bacteria, like most other diseases, but by a pathogenic protein called a "Prion." This is an anomaly in nature. You can read about this strange and complex theory by following the link below.

Editor's Note:

"Race" is sometimes mentioned as a risk factor in the development of certain cancers and a number of other diseases. When you read this in a discussion about an illness, note that the explanation seldom refers to anything biological. Instead, it usually refers to behavior, such as eating habits. The kinds of behavior usually mentioned as risk factors are culturally determined. They are not genetic or biological.