Latest news with #HoodRiverCountyHealthDepartment
USA Today
20-04-2025
- Health
- USA Today
2 dead from rare mad cow-like brain disease in Oregon, county health officials say
2 dead from rare mad cow-like brain disease in Oregon, county health officials say There are about 500 new cases of the disease in humans per year in the US, according to the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation. Show Caption Hide Caption Your ultimate guide to proper hand-washing When people ask how to protect themselves against the spread of COVID-19, one of the first suggestions from doctors is washing your hands. Here are the do's and don'ts. Two people in Oregon have died from a rare, progressive brain disorder similar to "mad cow disease" that leads to dementia and is %100 fatal. The Hood River County Health Department confirmed the deaths on April 14 and said over the last eight months, there have been one confirmed and two probable cases of the illness, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Of the three cases, two have died, the department added. According to the health department, at this time, "there is no identifiable link" between the three cases. The risk of contracting the disease is "extremely low" due to it not being spread through the air, touch, social contact or water. An investigation into the confirmed cases is ongoing, the health department said, adding that it will continue to monitor the situation to ensure there is no risk to public health. What is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease? Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a serious brain disorder caused by a misfolded protein called a prion, which is found in the brain and nerve cells. In the United States, there are about 500 new cases of the disease in humans per year, according to the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation. The disease can occur in different ways, with most happening without a known reason, the health department said. It can also be inherited by family members, and in "very rare cases," it can be spread through certain medical exposures to infected brain or nervous tissue, or by eating infected beef. What are the symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease? According to the health department, symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease include changes in memory, walking, coordination, speech, and behavior. Mayo Clinic said other symptoms of the disease are insomnia, blurry vision or blindness, and trouble swallowing. Death from Creutzfeldt-Jakob occurs within a year, according to the Mayo Clinic, adding that people with the illness typically die of medical issues associated with the disease. The issues can include trouble swallowing, falls, heart issues, lung failure, pneumonia or other infections. The disease is extremely rare, with only 1 person per million diagnosed worldwide each year.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
3 cases of rare brain disease found in Oregon; 2 deaths reported
Two people have died and a third remains under investigation after health officials in Hood River County identified multiple cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a rare but deadly brain disorder caused by abnormal infectious proteins known as prions. Over the past eight months, one case has been confirmed through autopsy and two others are classified as probable, according to the Hood River County Health Department. The patients' identities and ages have not been released out of respect for their families. Officials say there is currently no evidence of a link between the cases and emphasized that CJD poses extremely low risk to the general public. The backstory Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disorder caused by prions—abnormal proteins that cause brain damage. It leads to symptoms such as dementia, movement disorders and personality changes. It is considered universally fatal, and there is no cure. The disease is extremely rare, with about 350 cases diagnosed annually in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health. Around 85% of cases are classified as sporadic, meaning there is no known cause. Some are hereditary, linked to a genetic mutation, while others result from medical procedures like organ transplants involving contaminated tissue. CJD is not spread through the air, water, touch, or social interaction, and is distinct from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease), though both are prion diseases. The Hood River cases are not believed to be related to infected beef. What's next Trish Elliott, director of the Hood River County Health Department, said an investigation is underway in coordination with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Autopsy and testing can take months, especially when brain tissue must be examined out of state. Elliott said health officials are looking for any shared risk factors between the patients, but such investigations can be inconclusive due to the complexity and mystery surrounding prion diseases. Healthcare providers in the area have been alerted to consider CJD in cases involving rapid cognitive decline or unusual neurological symptoms. What they're saying Trish Elliott told reporters that while officials are trying to identify any links between the cases, it's often difficult to pinpoint a specific cause. "We're trying to look at any common risk factors that might link these cases … but it's pretty hard in some cases to come up with what the real cause is," she said. Dr. Brian Appleby, director of the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, explained that a diagnosis is typically confirmed by looking at brain tissue for prion protein deposits and lesions under a microscope. Genetic testing can also determine if a case is hereditary. Why you should care Though CJD is extremely rare, its symptoms resemble other forms of rapidly progressing dementia, and its incurable nature makes early identification important. Health departments are urging local doctors to be aware of the warning signs, though the general public faces no elevated risk. Health officials are continuing to monitor the situation closely and advise anyone with concerns to speak with their primary healthcare provider. The Source This article is based on public health updates from the Hood River County Health Department and reporting from local and national health authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oregon health officials investigate rare brain disease blamed for two deaths
Health officials in Hood River County, Ore., are investigating three cases of a rare and fatal brain disease known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Two people have died and a third person is showing symptoms consistent with the disease. The disease has been confirmed in one of the deceased through an autopsy; the other two cases are considered probable, according to a statement from the Hood River County Health Department. All three cases were diagnosed in the last eight months. County health officials declined to provide particulars about the individuals, such as their age, gender or town of residence. "At this time, there is no identifiable link between these three cases," a Hood River County statement said. The county has a population of about 24,000. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by misfolded proteins known as prions. These prions lead to rapid brain deterioration, resulting in severe neurological symptoms and death. Although the disease is known for its sporadic occurrence, clusters raise concerns among public health officials about potential environmental or dietary exposure. Symptoms include issues with memory, walking, coordination, speech and behavior changes, according to experts. It does not spread through the air, water, touch or social contact, according to Hood River County health officials. The disease is considered incurable and is always fatal. Roughly 350 cases are diagnosed in the United States every year, according to the National Institutes of Health. The disease is rare in people, affecting roughly 1.4 people per million. However, because the disease takes years to develop, any person's chance of developing the disease is closer to 1 in 5,000 or 6,000, said Michael Geschwind, a professor of neurology at UC San Francisco in the Memory and Aging Center. The disease is similar to chronic wasting disease, or CWD, which is also a prion-fueled disease, and was detected for the first time in wild deer in California and Washington last year. CWD was first reported in 1967, in a captive Colorado deer. It has since spread to deer in 36 states. There are no known cases of the disease in Oregon wildlife. For decades there has been concern that CWD could move into human populations through the ingestion of contaminated meat. That's because in the 1980s, a prion disease in sheep, known as scrapies — which humans do not seem to get — moved into cows, and soon people throughout the United Kingdom, France and elsewhere were becoming infected with mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Since then, public health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and several states have been paying close attention to clusters of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease — investigating outbreaks to determine whether infected deer, elk or moose meat was involved. They — and researchers from other agencies, such as the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center — also have been monitoring wild deer populations and keeping tabs on hunters who may have been exposed. Although widespread geographically throughout the United States and Canada, the disease is considered relatively rare in wild populations of deer, elk and moose, said Brian Richardson, the emerging-disease coordinator at the USGS wildlife center. "It may well be [in Oregon], but it's hard to find rare events," he said. To date, there are no known incidents of people acquiring a prion disease by consuming deer, elk or moose meat, said Geschwind, the UCSF professor. He said roughly 85% to 90% of Creutzfeldt-Jakob cases are considered sporadic, with no identified cause or source of infection. In 10% to 15% of the cases, the disease appears to be genetically inherited — with some people acquiring mutations associated with the disease. However, there have been a few cases in which sources of infection or contamination have been identified, and almost all of them were from a medical mishap. Prions are notoriously difficult to inactivate or destroy — withstanding standard sterilization techniques — and can remain intact for months and years on a surface, Geschwind said. In a small number of cases, he said, people acquired the disease as a result of contaminated and improperly cleaned surgical equipment. In a few other cases, it was acquired by people who used products — such as growth hormone, or who received corneal transplants — derived, inadvertently, from infected cadavers. It's these proteins' durability and longevity that have many researchers worried. Studies have shown that deer that harbor the disease can pass the infectious prions to other deer through saliva, blood, urine and feces. "So, if the animal is licking a plant or licking a salt lick, for example, and another animal comes along and licks that plant or salt lick, then that might be a way of spreading the disease," Geschwind said. In addition, the decomposing body of a deer that died of the disease can infect the surrounding environment where the animal expired — potentially contaminating plants, seeds, fungi and soil, Richardson said. He said not only is there the issue of surface contamination, but also research has shown that the proteins can "be taken up via rootlets and deposited in aerial plant tissues. Whether these plants contribute to chronic wasting disease transmission and what type of risk these plants pose to humans remain open questions." Geschwind noted that the work done by federal researchers to better understand the disease, provide diagnostic autopsies on presumptive cases, monitor wildlife and investigate clusters has provided a level of protection for the American public, which could be destabilized by proposed cuts to federal agencies. "The idea of cutting government funding of rare disease is very short-sighted, because even though CJD is a rare disease, what we have learned from prion diseases has implications for all neurodegenerative diseases," he said, noting Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy. "All these diseases act in a prion-like manner in which normal proteins misfold, and those misfolded proteins cause the cells to not work partly and lead to disease," he said. "But the basic mechanism that we've learned from this very rare disease applies to diseases that are thousands of times more common. To get rid of the research? It'd be a very grave mistake." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
16-04-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Oregon health officials investigate rare brain disease blamed for two deaths
Health officials in Hood River County, Ore., are investigating three cases of a rare and fatal brain disease known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Two people have died and a third person is showing symptoms consistent with the disease. The disease has been confirmed in one of the deceased through an autopsy; the other two cases are considered probable, according to a statement from the Hood River County Health Department. All three cases were diagnosed in the last eight months. County health officials declined to provide particulars about the individuals, such as their age, gender or town of residence. 'At this time, there is no identifiable link between these three cases,' a Hood River County statement said. The county has a population of about 24,000. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by misfolded proteins known as prions. These prions lead to rapid brain deterioration, resulting in severe neurological symptoms and death. Although the disease is known for its sporadic occurrence, clusters raise concerns among public health officials about potential environmental or dietary exposure. Symptoms include issues with memory, walking, coordination, speech and behavior changes, according to experts. It does not spread through the air, water, touch or social contact, according to Hood River County health officials. The disease is considered incurable and is always fatal. Roughly 350 cases are diagnosed in the United States every year, according to the National Institutes of Health. The disease is rare in people, affecting roughly 1.4 people per million. However, because the disease takes years to develop, any person's chance of developing the disease is closer to 1 in 5,000 or 6,000, said Michael Geschwind, a professor of neurology at UC San Francisco in the Memory and Aging Center. The disease is similar to chronic wasting disease, or CWD, which is also a prion-fueled disease, and was detected for the first time in wild deer in California and Washington last year. CWD was first reported in 1967, in a captive Colorado deer. It has since spread to deer in 36 states. There are no known cases of the disease in Oregon wildlife. For decades there has been concern that CWD could move into human populations through the ingestion of contaminated meat. That's because in the 1980s, a prion disease in sheep, known as scrapies — which humans do not seem to get — moved into cows, and soon people throughout the United Kingdom, France and elsewhere were becoming infected with mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Since then, public health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and several states have been paying close attention to clusters of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease — investigating outbreaks to determine whether infected deer, elk or moose meat was involved. They — and researchers from other agencies, such as the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center — also have been monitoring wild deer populations and keeping tabs on hunters who may have been exposed. Although widespread geographically throughout the United States and Canada, the disease is considered relatively rare in wild populations of deer, elk and moose, said Brian Richardson, the emerging-disease coordinator at the USGS wildlife center. 'It may well be [in Oregon], but it's hard to find rare events,' he said. To date, there are no known incidents of people acquiring a prion disease by consuming deer, elk or moose meat, said Geschwind, the UCSF professor. He said roughly 85% to 90% of Creutzfeldt-Jakob cases are considered sporadic, with no identified cause or source of infection. In 10% to 15% of the cases, the disease appears to be genetically inherited — with some people acquiring mutations associated with the disease. However, there have been a few cases in which sources of infection or contamination have been identified, and almost all of them were from a medical mishap. Prions are notoriously difficult to inactivate or destroy — withstanding standard sterilization techniques — and can remain intact for months and years on a surface, Geschwind said. In a small number of cases, he said, people acquired the disease as a result of contaminated and improperly cleaned surgical equipment. In a few other cases, it was acquired by people who used products — such as growth hormone, or who received corneal transplants — derived, inadvertently, from infected cadavers. It's these proteins' durability and longevity that have many researchers worried. Studies have shown that deer that harbor the disease can pass the infectious prions to other deer through saliva, blood, urine and feces. 'So, if the animal is licking a plant or licking a salt lick, for example, and another animal comes along and licks that plant or salt lick, then that might be a way of spreading the disease,' Geschwind said. In addition, the decomposing body of a deer that died of the disease can infect the surrounding environment where the animal expired — potentially contaminating plants, seeds, fungi and soil, Richardson said. He said not only is there the issue of surface contamination, but also research has shown that the proteins can 'be taken up via rootlets and deposited in aerial plant tissues. Whether these plants contribute to chronic wasting disease transmission and what type of risk these plants pose to humans remain open questions.' Geschwind noted that the work done by federal researchers to better understand the disease, provide diagnostic autopsies on presumptive cases, monitor wildlife and investigate clusters has provided a level of protection for the American public, which could be destabilized by proposed cuts to federal agencies. 'The idea of cutting government funding of rare disease is very short-sighted, because even though CJD is a rare disease, what we have learned from prion diseases has implications for all neurodegenerative diseases,' he said, noting Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy. 'All these diseases act in a prion-like manner in which normal proteins misfold, and those misfolded proteins cause the cells to not work partly and lead to disease,' he said. 'But the basic mechanism that we've learned from this very rare disease applies to diseases that are thousands of times more common. To get rid of the research? It'd be a very grave mistake.'
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Two dead, another infected, as rare brain disease reported in one Oregon county
Two people are believed to have died of a rare, incurable brain disease within months of each other in a single Oregon county. Health officials said in a recent statement that three cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease have been found in Hood River County, 70 miles east of Portland, in the past eight months. Two of the cases resulted in death, according to The Oregonian. One of the cases was confirmed by autopsy, while two are presumptive diagnoses, the newspaper said. It is not known whether the cases are linked, the Hood River County Health Department said Friday. Health officials said that while the risk to the public remains 'extremely low' they are monitoring the situation closely. 'We're trying to look at any common risk factors that might link these cases,' Hood River County Health Department director Trish Elliot told the outlet. 'But it's pretty hard in some cases to come up with what the real cause is.' Elliot said the only way to confirm the disease is to test the brain and spinal fluid after death. The results of those tests can take months to establish. The Independent has contacted the Hood River County Health Department for more information. Creutzfeldt-Jakob causes rapidly intensifying symptoms that present movement disorders and behavioral changes, similar to Alzheimer's. The rare and deadly disorder is caused by infectious proteins called prions, which can cause small holes in the brain that resemble sponges under a microscope. There is currently no treatment or cure. Deaths typically occur 12 months after infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 500 to 600 new cases occur in the U.S. each year. Most cases are believed to be hereditary, linked to a genetic mutation passed on from a parent. The disease cannot be spread from person to person except through organ or tissue transplants or other exposure to infected brain or nervous tissue. In rare cases, Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease is linked to eating infected beef from cows with a related disease. Elliott said the three Hood River cases are not believed to be related to infected cattle.
