[Mrs. Don-o]

Wrong about the BSE or wrong about the Creutzfeldt–Jakob? ---(which I read infected some 200+ humans after contamination with the BSE-infected cows.

I'd sure be glad to be wrong about that. I have no firsthand knowledge (thank God) I just repeated what I've read.

And (see #57) what can you tell us about the human variant prion disease called kuru?

[Vermont Lt]

Kyrie is from eating nerve tissue from other humans.

You can do research on your own.

[exDemMom]

And (see #57) what can you tell us about the human variant prion disease called kuru?

There was a tribe in New Guinea that practiced eating its deceased members. According to Wikipedia, there is speculation that the original kuru arose when a member of the tribe developed sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob (meaning he was not exposed to an infectious source, but that the disease arose spontaneously). This is plausible, but there is no evidence to support the hypothesis. The disease especially affected women and children, who were more likely to eat the brains. In any case, the outbreak persisted for several years in the tribe, until after they abandoned the practice of eating their deceased. Once they discontinued cannibalism, the number of cases dropped steadily over the next few years. The last known case died in the 1970s.

In the US right now, a prion-caused wasting disease is affecting cervids (elk and deer). There is not evidence that the disease is contagious to humans, but the wildlife authorities do not recommend eating infected animals. I would have every carcass tested, if I was a hunter.