Virions, Prions, and Viruses

Prions are a type of protein, not an organism, that cause disorders in mammals including humans. They cause progressive neurodegenerative disorders which damage the brain and the rest of the nervous system. The proteins cause proteins in neural tissue to misfold which leads to brain damage. Two common disorders found in humans are Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease (CJD) and Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). Other mammals are known to contract Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, mad cow) and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which is common among deer. Both types of prions cause brain damage with long incubation periods which can span many years. In 1996 a link between BSE in cattle and vCJD in humans was found. Enough scientific evidence was presented to show that the two disorders could be caused by the same agent. People contract these diseases by eating infected food which contain the proteins, hereditary transmission, or spontaneously where the prion changes. Right now there is no treatment for any of the diseases. There are drugs available which help make the infected more comfortable before they die. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has stated that the risk of getting the human prion diseases is rather low within the United States but it can happen. BSE, more commonly known as mad-cow disease, can and has infected humans before. Meat that contains nervous tissue can increase the risk of contracting the disease. Even though prions are not living, they can still be destroyed. The methods to get rid of these hardy proteins are quite extreme. Incineration of infected meat at 1000 degrees Celsius (1832 F), steam heating at 134 degrees C for longer than 15 minutes, boiling in lye for longer than 15 minutes and being submerged in concentrated bleach for an hour. The best way to prevent prion diseases is to test meat regularly and ensure the meat doesn't come in contact with nervous tissue. I would propose completely eliminating foods that contain spinal cords, bone marrow or brain. This may seem drastic but it is a safe way to ensure that prions do not spread. Incidents of prions infecting cattle and humans should be handled correctly. Cattle infected should be incinerated at the appropriate temperature. Luckily, cannibalism is frowned upon in our society, meaning prions will not spread from human to human easily. The people should still be dealt with properly and it should be made sure they are comfortable leading up to their death


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