Kuru
Published on Nov 29, 2015
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES (TSES)
NEURODEGENERATIVE PRION PROTEIN BY: JESSE HAZELTON 5TH HOUR
LOCATION
LOCATION OF THE KURU PROTIEN
NEW GUINEA
THE HISTORY OF KURU
- It was first found in the villages of New Guinea
- It spread because of endo-cannibalism (eating of dead relatives)
- Kuru affects the brain by slowly eating it away
CAUSES
- Eating of an infected brain by cannibalism
More causes-
The kuru prion protein kills neurons in the brain and leave the brain full of holes.
INCIDENCE
- It affected women and children the most
- It affect everyone that eats the infected brain
- It has a 5-20 year incubation period and once you show symptoms you will die within a year
DIAGNOSIS
- blood test
- Folic acid level test
- Liver/kidney test
- MRI
- Electromyography
SIGNS/SYMPTOMS
- Arm and leg pain
- Headache
- Tremors and muscles spasms
- Difficulty walking
- Coordination problems that become severe
- Swallowing difficulty
- Random laughing or crying
- Slurred speech
- Moodiness
PATHOLOGY
- mainly affects the cerebellum (controls coordination)
- they died in a comatose state - 6 to 12 months after the first appearance of symptoms.
- To get Kuru you just need to eat an infected brain
- The kuru protein eats at the cerebellum and it will slowly kill you
TREATMENT
- There is no cure
- The only way to not get it is to not eat an infected brain
- No treatment
- Kuru is always fatal
Prevention-
The only way to prevent this disease is by not eating an infected brain
ADDITIONAL INFOMATION
- Kuru was discover in New Guinea in the 1950s
- Kuru is related to Mad cow disease and scrapie(like the kuru disease but affects sheep and goats)
- The Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea ate every part of their deceased including their bones and feces. This practice known as endo-cannibalism, was actually born out of love and respect as they viewed it as a way their deceased to literally live on forever.
