Question

Are prions contagious?

Answer 1

Prions:

1. They are proteinaceous infectious particles.
2. They cause several neurodegenerative diseases in mammals.
3. Example- Creutzfeldt Jakob disease.
4. There is no evidence of prions being contagious.
5. However, prions diseases like kuru can spread if a healthy person comes in contact with an open wound or sore of an individual infected with it.
6. They likely spread between animals through body fluids like faeces, blood, saliva, or urine, either through direct contact or indirect contact through environmental contamination of food, soil, or water.