Hello, readers today we will discuss about a dangerous disease which is known as “KURU”. Karu is a rare, infectious, neurodegenerative disorder that affects the brain and nervous system. Karu is also known as laughing sickness, is a prion disease that was prevalent among the Fore people of Papua New Guinea in the 1950s & 1960s. Kuru affects both males and females; however, women are more commonly affected than men. It can also affect children.
It is now widely accepted that kuru was transmitted among the Fore people via funerary cannibalism. Deceased family members were traditionally cooked and eaten, which was thought to help free the spirit of the dead. The high mortality rate and the suffering caused by kuru led to widespread grief and psychological trauma among the Fore people. Women and children usually consumed the brain, the organ in which infectious prions were most concentrated, thus allowing for the transmission of kuru.
The main risk factor for kuru is eating human brain tissue, which can contain infectious particles. There is no known treatment for Kuru.
It is now widely accepted that kuru was transmitted among the Fore people via funerary cannibalism. Deceased family members were traditionally cooked and eaten, which was thought to help free the spirit of the dead. The high mortality rate and the suffering caused by kuru led to widespread grief and psychological trauma among the Fore people. Women and children usually consumed the brain, the organ in which infectious prions were most concentrated, thus allowing for the transmission of kuru.
Kuru was divided into 3 clinical stages: Ambulant, Sedentary, and Terminal.
Ambulant Stage:- Titubation and other abnormal movements of the body are presenting signs. Cerebellar signs such as nystagmus, dysarthria, dysmetria, and intention tremor are also reported. Individuals are also emotionally labile and may exhibit sporadic uncontrolled laughter. Hence the disease is also referred to as the “laughing disease.”
Sedentary Stage:- The patient is unable to walk without assistance, furthermore, the individual shows signs of emotional instability and depression, yet exhibits uncontrolled and sporadic laughter, increased sleepiness and lethargy. The sedentary stage typically lasts for 6-12 months.
Terminal Stage:- The person is bedridden and unable to sit, stand, or move without support, the person will completely lose of motor function(Paralysis) and inability to swallow(dysphagia)leading to malnutrition. The terminal stage of kuru typically lasts for about 3 to 6 months. During this period, the individual’s condition progressively worsens until death occurs.