Can you tell me what Kuru Disease is?

It's a prion disease, comparable to mad cow. Prions are malformed proteins that cause numerous problems in the nervous system by creating plaques that disrupt tissue structure. Kuru, like all prion related diseases, is fatal, usually within 18 months. Symptoms include inability to control basic motor functions, trembling, and headaches. Cannibalism is related to it, I am unsure completely why, but they studied an epidemic in Papua New Guinea where the families would eat the dead in mourning. This would make sense in that they discovered the cause of Mad Cow Disease was because slaughterhouses were feeding the cows recycled and discarded cow parts. Gross and shameful, but true.

Kuru IS interesting. Gross in many ways, but interesting.

If you click the links at the bottom of the page (the references) you should be able to find more information.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuru_(disease)

http://www.ourcivilisation.com/madcow/kuru.htm

http://alzheimers.about.com/od/typesofdementia/a/K...

Here you go!