prion disease

noun

Updated on: 12 May 2018

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

Recent Examples of prion disease from the Web

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
Because the prion disease has sickened the entire nation now.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Donald Trump Was the Inevitable Result of Republicanism," 25 Jan. 2018
The oraler will inevitably get water up his or her nose—risking brain-eating prion diseases—and bruise their knees.

— sophia benoit, GQ, "Nobody Is Good at Shower Sex," 23 Jan. 2018
Chronic wasting disease is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, a family of prion diseases that includes Mad Cow and scrapie.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Kit shortage has slowed CWD testing," 9 Dec. 2017
Graham is in the lead on this because he was perceived to be what passes for a reasonable Republican in the era of the prion disease.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "A Bad Law, Badly Designed, By People Who Don't Understand Its Ramifications," 22 Sep. 2017
Humans can also get prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease and the rare Kuru, which was transmitted by the Fore people’s custom of eating their deceased as part of funerary rituals.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "More Than 30 Years Since Their Discovery, Prions Still Fascinate, Terrify and Mystify Us," 6 Oct. 2017

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.

First Known Use of prion disease

1986

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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Medical Dictionary

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