title: An update on the epidemiology and key issues associated with the diagnosis and management of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease cases in NSW.
abstract: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a fatal disease caused by the accumulation of abnormal prion proteins in neurological tissues. Routine notification data reveal that NSW has similar rates of CJD to other states and territories in Australia; however, it is likely that there is significant under-ascertainment of cases. It is important that clinicians and public health staff remain vigilant for the clinical signs of CJD and understand the limitations of the different diagnostic tests available. This paper provides a brief overview of the epidemiology of CJD in NSW, as well as current issues in the diagnosis and public health investigation of CJD.
authors.affiliation: NSW Public Health Officer Training Program, NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, Australia; School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Communicable Diseases Branch, Health Protection NSW, NSW Health, Sydney, Australia equin@doh.health.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.affiliation: Communicable Diseases Team, Health Protection, Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Merritt
authors.affiliation: Neuropathology Department, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Buckland
authors.affiliation: Communicable Diseases Branch, Health Protection NSW, NSW Health, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tobin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002423:Cause of Death; D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000209:etiology; D018563:Disease Notification; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000209:etiology; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015980:Public Health Practice; D012042:Registries; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers