Kuru: A fascinating history of a devastating disease linked to cannibalism

In the highlands of Papua New Guinea in the 1950s and 60s it was noticed that people (mostly women) of the Fore tribe were dying of what was originally thought to be a genetic disorder since it happened among family members. The disease stole away the affected person’s ability to talk, walk and eat and to eventually die a shivering death. We now know that this was kuru –a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) or prion disease, same as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, mad cow disease in cattle, scrapie in sheep and chronic wasting seen in elk. Joining me today to talk about the fascinating story of kuru is Chandana Bala. Chandy is the President of Global Insight Advisory Network and writes on the intersection of healthcare and technology. She is also a frequent writer for Gideon Informatics. Gideon Online https://www.gideononline.com/ Outbreak News Today http://outbreaknewstoday.com/ Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and other prion diseases    • Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and other ...   Support my work with a dollar or two at http://ko-fi.com/outbreaknews If you like this content, Be sure to SHARE with your friends, SUBSCRIBE to the channel, LIKE the video and COMMENT below. This video is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something, we'll receive a small commission. Twelve Diseases that Changed Our World https://amzn.to/3QxyV8f How to Draw Cool Stuff https://amzn.to/44eo3Q5 Manson's Tropical Diseases E-Book https://amzn.to/45fkda4 Follow on social media: Facebook   / infectiousdiseasenews   Twitter   / bactiman63   Linkedin   / robert-herriman-3248b5200