Two people in Hood River County, Oregon, have reportedly died from a rare and incurable brain disease within months of each other.
In a recent statement, health officials said they have detected three cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the county, located 70 miles east of Portland, over the past eight months.
The disease has caused two deaths, according to the Oregonian. One death was confirmed by an autopsy, while another was diagnosed based on clinical symptoms, medical history, radiological imaging, or non-invasive laboratory tests, without a full autopsy, which is the only way to accurately confirm infection.
Health officials confirmed that it is not known whether the two cases are related. They explained that the risk of contracting this rare disease remains "extremely low," but they are closely monitoring the situation.
The deadliest diseases affecting humanity: strange and rare cases that leave no chance of survival
"We are trying to study any common risk factors that might link these cases, but in some cases it is very difficult to determine the exact cause," said Trish Elliott, director of the Hood River County Health Department.
Elliott added that the only way to confirm the disease is to examine the brain and spinal fluid after death, a process that can take several months to obtain results.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) causes rapidly progressive symptoms, including movement disorders and behavioral changes similar to those experienced by Alzheimer's patients. The disease is caused by infectious proteins called prions, which create tiny, sponge-like holes in the brain.
There is currently no cure for this disease, and death usually occurs within 12 months of infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 500 and 600 new cases are reported annually in the United States. Most cases are hereditary, resulting from a genetic mutation passed down from one parent.
The disease is only transmitted from person to person in rare cases, such as organ or tissue transplants, or exposure to infected brain tissue. In exceptional cases, the disease may be linked to the consumption of beef infected with a similar disease.
However, Elliott emphasized that the cases in Hood River are not believed to be linked to infected cattle.