Spongiform encephalophathies [SE]: transmissible or neurodegenerative diseases

ABSTRACT

Spongiform encephalopathies [SE] are a group of disorders of the central nervous system which affects both animals and humans. These disorders include Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease [CJD], Gerstmann-Strassler-Scheinker syndrome [GSS], Kuru, Scrapie, bovine SE and others. These various entities are linked by characteristic pathology which include; spongiform change, neuronal loss and astrocytic gliosis as well as prolonged incubation period often extending to years and the possibility of sharing the same transmissible agent/s. In this article, the most recent data on SE disease is reviewed and especially its link to humans