Kuru-fifty years later.
Kuru, the first human neurodegenerative disease classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, prion disease or, in the past, slow unconventional virus disease, was first reported to Western medicine in 1957 by D. Carleton Gajdusek and Vincent Zigas. Thus, this year marks the 50th anniversary of kuru discovery, highlighted by the symposium The end of kuru: 50 years of research into an extraordinary disease organized by John Collinge and Michael Alpers at the Royal Society, London, November 11-12, 2007. In this review, we summarize some data on the epidemiology, neuropathology and clinical picture of kuru.
Liberski
Paweł P
PP
Laboratory of Electron Microscopy and Neuropathology, Department of Molecular Pathology and Neuropathology, Medical University Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
Brown
Paul
P
D002190:Cannibalism; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D007729:Kuru / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology*; D010219:Papua New Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors