Personal Injury Law

Is There A CJD Cluster In Roane County, Tennessee?

These days, it's often the comments to the news, that makes the most interesting reading. For example take the public feedback that a story on the WBIR-TV website in Knoxville, TN.

The story about one death caused by Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in nearby Roane County, TN brings in 2 responses from individuals who say CJD was the cause of death for each of  their grandmothers in Roane, TN; one who says his father, a Roane resident, was just diagnosed with the disease, and another reader who says he's heard of several other CJD deaths in the county.

The four who commented were responding to this:

The Tennessee Department of Health is investigating a case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, and saying in the meantime it is extremely unlikely that it is a human case of the disease known as 'mad cow.'

An early diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob has been made for one patient, one of 6-8 the state of Tennessee is likely to see this year.

The Centers for Disease Control identifies classic Creutzfeldt-Jakob as a degenerative disease of the nervous system, likely caused by normal prion proteins deforming into abnormal prion proteins.   {The bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) disease, more commonly known as 'mad cow' disease, is also a prion disease.}

The state's four cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob last year were all the classic disease.

One of those commenting said:

My grandmother passed away Feb 4, 2009 at home with CJD. She spent 3 weeks in ParkWest hospital before we recevied her diagnoses. And passed away ten days from the date she was diagnosed. She was 69 years old and from Roane County. Our family did have an autopsy done on her and we have recieved the first phase of it confirming she did have CJD. We have learned of a Man in Rockwood having it and a lady from Kingson in ParkWest with it now. This is a very rare disease and I do believe their has to be a link in Roane County causing it. This disease is horrible and devasting to the family. There is no treatment for it and it progesses very rapid. There is no stopping it or slowing it down once the patient gets it. My mother has contacted the CDC this morning.

And another:

Actually, my father in Roane County was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob last week. Our family was contacted by a lady whose mother passed away earlier this year of the same disease, also in Roane County. Furthermore, a family friend visited our house today and told us of yet another diagnosis of a citizen of Roane County, who is currently hospitalized in Knox County. This is devastating both for the families involved and for our county, and considering the statistical rarity of the disease, it seems very strange that three people residing within the same geographical area were diagnosed if the disease is, in fact, acting sporadically. This disease is a monster, and further investigation to identify a possible common link would be extremely beneficial.

Roane County is on I-40 in eastern Tennessee.  Its farms and several small towns are home to about 52,000.  Go here for the WBIR report.

Full post as published by Mad Cow Blog on March 16, 2009 (boomark / email).