Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Possible transmission to humans by consumption of wild animal brains.
Although the natural mode of spread of the agent responsible for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is unknown, several reports suggest oral transmission through consumption of contaminated food or brain. This report summarizes four cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in which a history of eating the brains of wild goat or squirrel was obtained. These cases support the hypothesis of possible acquisition of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by ingestion of the agent from a presumptive reservoir in the central nervous system of wild animals.
D000368:Aged; D000828:Animal Population Groups / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology*; D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000635:transmission*; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006041:Goats / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012589:Sciuridae / Q000382:microbiology