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prion disease

noun
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Definition of prion disease

: any of a group of spongiform encephalopathies that are caused by prions and that include bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, kuru, scrapie, and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

— called also transmissible spongiform encephalopathy

Examples of prion disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web People who have suffered from prion diseases will not be eligible. — Henry Alford, The New Yorker, "Everything You’re Afraid to Ask About Human Composting," 26 Aug. 2019 Inspired by the success in Huntington’s, Vallabh and Minikel’s team has partnered with Ionis to, it is hoped, develop ASO therapies for prion diseases. — Bret Stetka, Scientific American, "Antisense Drugs for Huntington’s, ALS and Prion Diseases Could Meet the Dire Need for Brain Treatments," 15 Aug. 2019 Unlike the situation with the camel prion disease, BSE doesn’t easily jump from animal to animal. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Camels in Africa may have been quietly spreading prion disease for decades," 26 Apr. 2018 Once the prions were passed to cows, the cows developed a prion disease of their own (mad cow disease). — Fiza Pirani, ajc, "Scientists worry brain-wasting ‘zombie deer’ disease could spread to humans," 25 May 2018 Mad cow disease, for example, is a prion disease that rooted from scrapie, a deadly disease that afflicts sheep. — Fiza Pirani, ajc, "Scientists worry brain-wasting ‘zombie deer’ disease could spread to humans," 25 May 2018 Reaching back to the 1980s raises some eyebrows, linking to the timing of another prion disease epidemic. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Camels in Africa may have been quietly spreading prion disease for decades," 26 Apr. 2018 Once established in the victim, prion disease destroys the human nervous system. — Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, "Where Do Republicans Go From Here?," 6 Feb. 2018 No case of human prion disease has been associated with CWD. — Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: CWD-positive deer die at three times rate of non-diseased animals in Wisconsin study," 28 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prion disease.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of prion disease

1986, in the meaning defined above

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The first known use of prion disease was in 1986

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Cite this Entry

“Prion disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prion%20disease. Accessed 26 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for prion disease

prion disease

noun

Medical Definition of prion disease

: any of a group of spongiform encephalopathies that are caused and transmitted by prions and that include bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome, kuru, scrapie, and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

— called also transmissible spongiform encephalopathy

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