“The word prion, coined in 1982 by Stanley B. Prusiner, is derived from protein and infection, hence prion ... “
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prion
The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for this research in 1976, for work done in 1959. In real time, this thing was called a unique virus. In the newspaper article I cited, the thing was called a “malady.”
Yes, cooking did not destroy the thing. Hence, as I said, the women of the isolated tribe - which cooked the meat they ate - got sick and died.
While the advance of knowledge is good, it’s a good idea respect long-standing social mores against cannibalism, in-breeding, etc.