Kuru-fifty years later
Liberski, P.ł P.; Brown, P.
Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska 41(6): 548-556
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-3843 PMID: 18224577 Document Number: 609921
Kuru, the first human neurodegenerative disease classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, prion disease or, in the past, slow unconventional virus disease, was first reported to Western medicine in 1957 by D. Carleton Gajdusek and Vincent Zigas. Thus, this year marks the 50th anniversary of kuru discovery, highlighted by the symposium The end of kuru: 50 years of research into an extraordinary disease organized by John Collinge and Michael Alpers at the Royal Society, London, November 11-12, 2007. In this review, we summarize some data on the epidemiology, neuropathology and clinical picture of kuru.