Why is Prion disease is common among certain isolated tribes in Papua New Guinea ?
A) It is common during the tribes' religious rituals to eat the brains of the deceased.
B) These individuals have a genetic susceptibility to the disease.
C) These individuals are exposed to toxins that are not present anywhere else on the planet.
D) Certain kinds of brain injuries are more common among these tribes than among the rest of the world population.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Prion disease is commonly known as kuru, a disease that affected a tribe in Papua New Guinea. The spread of the disease was primarily due to the practice of cannibalism among the tribe as part of their funeral rituals. The disease is caused by an abnormally folded protein called prion, which is highly concentrated in the brain and nervous system. Eating the brain tissue of an infected person exposes an individual to the prion and this caused the disease to spread rapidly among these isolated tribes. This made kuru a unique disease, typically restricted to one region, with strong cultural practices aiding its spread.

Why Is Prion Disease Is Common Among Certain Isolated Tribes