• Posted April 14, 2025

Two Deaths in Oregon County Linked to Fatal Brain Disorder

MONDAY, April 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Health officials in Hood River County, Oregon, are investigating three cases of a rare and fatal brain disease known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). 

Two people in the county, which has a population of about 24,000, have died from the illness, and a third case is still being reviewed, Oregon Live reported.

CJD is caused by infectious proteins called prions. These proteins damage the brain and lead to fast-moving dementia, problems with movement and changes in behavior. There is no cure; the disease is always fatal.

About 350 cases are diagnosed in the United States each year, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In Hood River, one case was confirmed through autopsy, while the other two are considered likely cases.

“We’re trying to look at any common risk factors that might link these cases … but it’s pretty hard in some cases to come up with what the real cause is,” said Trish Elliott, director of the Hood River County Health Department.

Elliott said the only way to confirm the disease is by testing brain and spinal fluid after death. It can take several months to see results.

Most CJD cases are considered sporadic, meaning they appear with no known cause. About 85% of cases fall into this category. Some other cases are hereditary, caused by a gene passed down from a parent, Oregon Live reported.

In rare cases, the disease is linked to eating infected beef. 

Elliott said the Hood River cases are not believed to be linked to cattle. She would not say whether the infected people were related or release details about them.

Dr. Brian Appleby, director of the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, said doctors can often identify CJD by looking at brain tissue under a microscope and testing for prion proteins. Genetic testing can also show if the case was inherited.

The Hood River County Health Department has alerted local doctors to watch for symptoms like rapid signs of dementia, movement disorders and behavioral changes. 

These may be clues that a patient has CJD.

More information

The Mayo Clinic has more on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

SOURCE: Oregon Live, April 11, 2025