11/21/25 Public Health Education Topic: Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease

Per CDC

What to know

• Classic CJD is a quick-moving, always fatal disease that occurs worldwide.

• It affects the brain and causes dementia and other problems.

• CJD mostly occurs in older adults.

• There is no treatment or cure.

• It usually leads to death within a year from when symptoms begin.

How it affects your body

People with CJD suffer from dementia. Other symptoms may include trouble walking, sudden jerky movements, and visual disturbances. CJD patients usually die within one year following the onset of symptoms.

Testing and diagnosis

Healthcare providers can diagnose an illness as a suspect case based on:

• Symptoms and course of illness

• Tests of a person's spinal fluid

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a brain scan

• EEG, a test of electrical activity in the brain.

The only way to confirm CJD is through testing brain tissue from a biopsy or an autopsy.

Treatment and Prognosis

Classic CJD is always fatal, usually within a few months. There is unfortunately no therapy that will slow or stop the progression of disease. So, treatment involves supportive care to make the patient more comfortable.

To learn more visit: Classic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease | Classic CJD | CDC