Mad Cow Disease and Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Dis (cont.)

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Medical Author:

Thomas Wisniewski, MD

Medical Editor:

Neil A Busis, MD

Medical Editor:

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD

Medical Editor:

Carmel Armon, MD, MHS, MSc

Mad Cow Disease Treatment

You may be asked to stop taking any medications that could affect your memory or cause confusion. Your doctor may refer you to specialists in neurology and infectious diseases. And your doctor will provide medications to ease your symptoms. If you develop seizures, for example, you may be given drugs to help control them.

But the reality is that all prion diseases cause death. There are no effective treatments available. Progression from symptoms to diagnosis to death may be rapid (from 8 months for sporadic CJD to up to 60 months for GSS).

Continuing laboratory testing is looking at a number of medications to prevent development of prion disease in animals. Work continues on experimental vaccines to delay or prevent the effects of prion disease.

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