- Two people in Hood River County, Oregon, have died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The disease is a rare and fatal brain disorder.
- Health officials have identified three cases over the past eight months — one confirmed and two probable — with no known link between them so far.
- The disease is extremely rare and not spread through casual contact; investigations are ongoing in partnership with the CDC.
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Two people have died from a rare brain disorder similar to Mad Cow disease, according to the Hood River County Health Department.
Health officials said three cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or CJD, have been reported in the county over the past eight months. One of the cases has been confirmed, while the other two are considered probable. Of the three, two patients have died.
The department said there is currently no known link between the cases, but an investigation is ongoing in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CJD is a rare and fatal brain disorder that can, in very rare cases, be linked to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), a form associated with Mad Cow disease. The illness is not spread through air, touch, social contact or water. Transmission is rare but can occur through medical exposure to infected brain or nervous system tissue, or by consuming contaminated beef.
Roughly 500 new CJD cases are reported in the United States each year, health officials said.
Symptoms of CJD may include memory loss, impaired coordination, speech difficulties, and behavioral changes, according to the Hood River County Health Department. The Mayo Clinic adds that insomnia, blurry vision or blindness, difficulty swallowing and rapid neurological decline may also occur.
The disease is typically fatal within a year. Death often results from complications such as difficulty swallowing, pneumonia, infections, heart issues or respiratory failure, according to the Mayo Clinic.
