Review of The Guardian Article: "Mad Cow, Cannibalism, and The Shaking Death"

The connection of prion diseases to the dramatically termed "Mad Cow Disease" and to human cannibalistic practices has inevitably led to numerous human interest articles on the topic.  One such recent article that discusses the history and recent new findings on prion diseases is "Mad Cow, Cannibalism, and The Shaking Death" by Mo Costandi--a 2013 article published in the British online newspaper The Guardian (link provided below).

In addition to providing a history of Pruisiner's prion hypothesis and the discovery of the Kuru tribe in New Guinea who spread the disease through their cannibalistic practices of ritual brain eating, Costandi includes video footage of a Kuru tribe member suffering from the disease, which provides a unique insight into the reality of the symptoms and progression of the disease.  He also discusses a recent occurrence in New Hampshire where a man died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease after having brain surgery using infected instruments that were not properly sanitized (primary article cited links to this article about the incident: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/fatal-rare-brain-disease-confirmed-n-h-patient-15-possibly-4B11220962).

Costandi uses this example to delve into a discussion about how, while only 156 people in the UK, and a smaller number in other countries, have died of CJD, there is cause for concern (Costandi article).  He points out that prion diseases may have a latency period of up to 50 years, which has led some epidemiologists to suspect that an epidemic is not impossible in the near future (Id.).  He also points out that "almost every person in the UK was exposed to the agent that causes variant CJD." (he quotes to this linked article: http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/aug/03/bse.medicalresearch).

I agree that the threat of variant and sporadic CJD is a more important one that people may realize.  Because of the continued issues that arise with transmission through medical devices, and because of the very long latency period for disease to arise, researchers should continue to do more to investigate possible causes of transmission and prevention tactics to face the possible future epidemic.

Costandi does not much address the debate surrounding the different theories of prion transmission, but rather conveys Pruisiner's hypothesis.  This could have been expounded upon, at least with some indication that differing theories exist; however, that may be a topic for a future article.


Article:
http://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2013/sep/26/mad-cows-cannibalism-kuru