US Woman’s 50-Year Struggle: Rare Prion Disease Linked to Infected Injection
A tragic case highlights the long-term dangers of medical treatments: a 58-year-old woman died from severe neurological symptoms linked to prion infection from a hormone injection she received between 1971 and 1980. Initially asymptomatic, she developed tremors, balance issues, and eventually slipped into a coma due to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a fatal brain condition caused by misfolded proteins. An MRI revealed extensive brain damage and tests confirmed the presence of abnormal prions, proteins that can lead to misfolding and nerve cell damage when they accumulate in the brain. This woman was one of a small percentage (0.4%) of patients treated with hormone injections derived from cadavers before the procedure was halted in 1985 after the first U.S. outbreak of CJD was identified. Researchers are still investigating how prions infect these hormones and why symptoms can take decades to manifest. Currently, there is no cure for CJD, underscoring ongoing concerns about potential new cases linked to past hormone treatments.
FAQ Section
What caused the woman’s symptoms and death?
Her symptoms and death were caused by Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), resulting from a prion infection acquired from hormone injections administered nearly 50 years earlier.
What are prions and how do they affect the brain?
Prions are misfolded proteins that can cause other proteins to misfold, leading to severe neurological damage and conditions like CJD.
How was the woman treated before her symptoms developed?
She received hormone injections derived from human cadavers for the treatment of panhypopituitarism, a condition affecting hormone production.
What preventative measures have been taken since the outbreak of CJD?
After the outbreak in 1985, cadaver-derived hormones were suspended, and synthetic alternatives were approved by the FDA to eliminate the risk of prion infection.
Tags
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, prions, neurology, hormone therapy, medical history, public health, patient safety, fatal diseases, neurological disorders, long-term effects
