Thomas Montgomery CELS 12/9/11

Prions in Nursing
Brain Snatchers Mad Cow Diseases

Papua New Guinea, an island located in the southwestern island was once afflicted by a mysterious and lethal affliction called Kuru. Kuru is a neurological and incurable disease that is one of the varying forms of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) caused by an abnormal protein called prions. To the tribe of New Guinea this disease is known as Shake in reference to the body tremors one experiences from the aliment. These diseases cause the cortex of the brain to develop many holes, causing a resemblance to a sponge. Most nurses may have crossed TSEs off their radar list for its unusual occurrence in the states, or anywhere for that matter. Its the properties of the prions that make them so different, such as being able to reproduce without nucleic acid (DNA), its strong resistance to ordinary sterilization methods such as autoclaving, Radiation, and use of ethylene oxide cant destroy prions. The route of transmission for prions is one that baffles even the most esteemed and educating scientist. It can transmit through heredity, sporadic episodes of spontaneous mutation which isnt true for any virus, bacteria and parasite. It is for these reason nurses sometimes dont give a glance towards TSEs, but is choosing ignorance on the subject really the best idea? Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy exists and the proof is viewed in the slow rise of Creutzfeldt-Jakob in Britain. It was the outbreak of Mad Cow the Zoonotic scrape like disease, it was caused by the sick beef spreading throughout Europe, and I wasnt till later was the connection made to Creutzfeldt-Jakob. Because of the mass consumption of sick meat, and the long incubation period it is hard for anyone to know truly if they have the disease or

Thomas Montgomery CELS 12/9/11

not, and as it is there is no diagnostic test to tell whether you have transmitted the disease, it is only at the time of autopsy can a case be confirmed. Even Red Cross will not accept donors who resided in Europe or England for over six months from 1980 1to 1996. Its hasnt been discerned if this disease is Blood-Borne yet the agent is found in lymph, body fluids and plasma productions so it would be wise to think that it is. It is a clear observation that your local nurse will likely have never see a case of TSE in his or her lifetime, but this mysterious disease is still active and one should always keep an open eye.