Kuru is a rare and fatal disease of the nervous system that occurred mainly during the 1950s and 1960s among the Fore people in the highlands of New Guinea. It is caused by an infectious protein (prion) found in contaminated human brain tissue. Kuru belongs to a class of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also called prion diseases. The disease is transmitted through the act of cannibalism, specifically the ritualistic practice of feeding upon the corpses of relatives as part of mourning (endocannibalism) ). The main risk factor for kuru is eating human brain tissue, which can contain the infectious particles.
Symptoms of kuru include arm and leg pain, coordination problems that become severe, difficulty walking, headache, swallowing difficulty, tremors, and muscle jerks. Difficulty swallowing and being unable to feed oneself can lead to malnutrition or starvation. The average incubation period is 10 to 13 years, but an incubation period of 50 years or even longer has also been reported. Kuru is an invariably fatal neurodegenerative disease, and there is no known cure. It primarily affects the cerebellum, which is responsible for coordination and balance. People with kuru require assistance to stand.
