Introduction. Scrapie in sheep was the first prion disease to be recognized, as early as 1732 (Leopoldt, 1750), and was identified in goats by 1942 (Chelle, 1942).

How long has scrapie been around?

First recognized as a disease of sheep in Great Britain and other countries of Western Europe more than 250 years ago, scrapie has been reported throughout the world.

When was the first prion disease discovered?

PRIONS | Kuru

Kuru means shivering or trembling in the Fore language. It was first described by Gajdusek and Zigas in 1957 in the Fore cultural and linguistic group of isolated regions of Papua New Guinea.