Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: The illness that creates holes in the brain

Causing a state of fear in people, a disorder has been attacking patients’ brains, causing holes in them. Two people have died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a rare and incurable brain disorder, in Hood River County, Oregon, where health officials have identified three cases in the past eight months. While one death was confirmed through autopsy, the other two cases are presumptive diagnoses, with officials currently monitoring the situation and investigating possible connections between the cases.

The Hood River County Health Department maintains that the risk to the public remains extremely low as they investigate the outbreak. "We're trying to look at any common risk factors that might link these cases. But it's pretty hard in some cases to come up with what the real cause is," said Hood River County Health Department director Trish Elliot.

CJD is a rare brain disorder that belongs to the family of prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). The disease affects approximately 350 people annually in the United States, with about 70 percent of patients dying within a year of diagnosis.



The condition causes the brain to develop a sponge-like appearance filled with holes when examined, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

CJD can develop in three different ways: sporadically, hereditarily, or through transmission. Most cases occur sporadically when normal prion proteins suddenly become abnormal, while some cases are hereditary due to genetic mutations affecting prion protein production.

The disease is not transmitted through air or casual contact. However, transmission can occur through direct exposure to infected brain or nervous system tissue, particularly during certain medical procedures.



The main symptom of CJD is cognitive decline, which often leads to dementia. Early symptoms include poor coordination, walking and balance problems, speech difficulties, dizziness, insomnia, vision changes, and hallucinations.

As the disease progresses, patients may experience weakness in their arms and legs, blindness, inability to move or speak, problems with swallowing, and may eventually fall into a coma.

The disease causes significant problems with muscle coordination, thinking, and memory. While there is no cure for CJD, treatments are available to help manage symptoms and make patients more comfortable.

Medical care for advanced cases may include IV fluids and machine feeding to support patients in later stages of the disease.