Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease cases in HR County should be less than 1 every 30 years

I’m writing in response to the recent announcement from the Hood River County Health Department about three confirmed or suspected cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in our county over the past eight months. While the statement includes general facts about the disease, it leaves out crucial context and creates a false sense of reassurance.

The department mentions that around 500 CJD cases occur in the U.S. each year. But nearly all of those are sporadic, meaning random and unlinked. The form of CJD that is acquired through medical procedures — called iatrogenic CJD — is extremely rare, with fewer than one or two cases reported annually across the entire country.

In a county the size of Hood River (~23,745 people), we would expect less than one CJD case every 30 years. To see three in just eight months is statistically extraordinary. The odds of three unrelated sporadic cases happening in that time and place are less than 1 in 193,000. If the cases are acquired, and also unrelated, the odds fall below 1 in 250,000. It is almost certain that these cases are linked by a common source, and that possibility must be taken seriously.

Some residents may wonder if improperly handled meat could be the cause. However, variant CJD (the kind linked to contaminated beef) is extremely rare in the U.S. and does not match the pattern seen here. These cases are far more likely to have resulted from medical exposure.

This should be treated as a possible outbreak. We need transparency: Were the patients treated at the same facility? Have hospitals been inspected? Are others being notified?

Prion diseases are fatal and resistant to routine sterilization. One case should prompt concern. Three in the same small community? That demands answers.

Sincerely,
Casandra Ware