Kuru

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Central nervous system

Symptoms of kuru include:

• Coordination problems, eventually become severe
• Difficulty walking (cerebellar ataxia)
• Swallowing difficulty
• Tremors and muscle jerks

Difficulty swallowing and inability to feed oneself lead to malnutrition or starvation.

The time it takes until symptoms develop (incubation period) can be up to 30 years or longer.

A neurological exam may show changes in coordination and walking ability.

Review Date: 11/27/2006
Reviewed By: D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.