Idaho confirms case of rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (Reuters)

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Idaho officials on Friday confirmed one case of naturally occurring Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and are investigating five other suspected cases, but said none are believed to be caused by eating infected animals.

Tom Shanahan, a spokesman for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, said five of the cases were in one geographic area and that all the people were over the age of 60.

CJD is a very rare brain-wasting disease in humans that usually affects older people in their 60s or 70s. It is not the same as the human form of mad cow disease, which is known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and is linked to eating beef from infected cattle.

"It is the naturally occurring type of CJD," Shanahan said. "It is not variant."