Graphics:

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/molecules/prions/images/new-guinea-map.jpg

http://kristimitchell.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/brainsections2.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTzL3b61UvsiY6O5FngHrMJp9tyEVCMsH_iQ2-k5S-mlEdBwfGT

Kuru is found strictly within the boundaries of the Fore region. Kuru is transmitted by consuming the brain of an infected person. It was found that the Fore people consumed the bodies of the deceased as a ritual and is how they became infected. It is less prevalent in men since they consumed the choice cuts, while women were left with the less desired parts of the body,

including the brain, making them more likely to be infected.

Kuru is called “The Laughing Death” due to its most common symptom: tremors and muscle spasms that result in random bursts of laughter. It also

brings joint pain, difficulty walking, difficulty swallowing, severe coordination problems, and eventually death.

A brain biopsy will confirm Kuru; however, there is no known cure for Kuru. To prevent infection of Kuru, avoid cannibalistic habits.

The Laughing DeathKuru

Kuru is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that is found in the Fore region of Papua New Guinea. It is caused by abnormal proteins called

prions that infect the brain, and in this case, they specifically target the cerebellum. The diseased prion that causes Kuru is the result of an abnormal prion fold that replaces a helix with a flat sheet. The different form of this protein alters the function of the prion thus, enabling the diseased prion to cause diseases by building up in the brain cells. Although virtually extinct

today, in the 1950s, Kuru caused thousands of death per year.