A study reported in the Lancet this week shows how knowledge about Kuru, may be used as a template for vCJD.
Between 1957 and 2004, the total number of cases of kuru exceeded 2700. The lower limit of incubation time may be as few as 5 years. Although the mean incubation time is 12 years, Collinge and colleagues also discovered incubation times above 50 years. They conclude that existing models and estimates of the vCJD epidemic could be “substantial underestimations�. This study provides a unique insight into the natural history of human prion disease. It combines cultural, clinical, genetic, and pathological evidence to draw a highly informative picture of great contemporary value.
RERF:The Lancet, Volume 367, Issue 9528, 24 June 2006-30 June 2006, Pages 2068-2074
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