Doctor, Doctor...
By Dave Hall
For all you hypochondriacs out there, Dave Hall continues his regular look at a some of the more unusual medical conditions, as well as some you thought you knew all about.
This week: MAD COW DISEASE.
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Condition – The human form of mad cow disease is Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, which was first described by two German neurologists, Hans Gerhard Creutzfeldt and Alfons Maria Jakob. It is a very rare and incurable neurological disorder that is ultimately fatal. It is caused by prions, which are infectious agents made only of protein.
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Contagion – It can be inherited (caused by a genetic mutation), transmitted by human growth hormone products and grafts, or can simply appear sporadically. It is also thought, that humans can get it from eating meat from cattle infected by the disease.
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| Danger of death – It is characterised by quite a rapid dementia, with memory loss and personality changes. The disease also leads to nerve cell death in the brain, which accounts for the ‘spongy’ nature of the brain material. Oh, it’s fatal – so no getting out of this one. |  |
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Incurability? – Seeing as there is no known cure, it is very incurable. There are, however, some drugs that slow the process down, but it’s only a matter of time.
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Likelihood of getting time off work – Sporadic (non-inherited) CJD can be fatal within months or even weeks – so if you convince your boss that you have it, make the most of your short time off.
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| Brag-ability – Nothing much to brag about in our book. You’ll be down the pub clumsily banging into tables and drinking out of your shoe before you know what’s hit you. |
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Overall ridiculousness – Not much fun this one, but at least the chances of getting it are rare. Now, where did I put that half-eaten burger… |
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More conditions to come soon:
Chikungunya, Marburg Virus and more.
Find more curious conditions in Doctor Doctor. If you can't wait for the next Doctor Doctor, then why not find a Phunny Phobia to keep you going?
Photo: Craig Jewell
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