How Widespread Is Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease?
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is rare. About 200 people are reported to have the disease in the United States, and it affects approximately 1 person per million worldwide. Mostly, if affects older people: approximately 6 people in every million worldwide between the ages of 70 to 74, with the mean age of death from CJD now at 67 years. About 90 percent of cases are reported to lead to death within 1 year after symptoms begin, with the remaining 10 percent of people with CJD declining over a 1-to 2-year period. Because CJD usually is a slowly progressing disease, symptoms may not begin for as long as 20 years after infection.
