kuru

American  

[koor-oo] / ˈkʊər u /

noun

Pathology.

1. a fatal degenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by progressive lack of coordination and dementia, known only among certain Melanesian peoples, especially the Fore of New Guinea, and caused by a slow virus: now virtually extinct.

---

kuru British  

/ ˈkʊruː /

noun

1. a degenerative disease of the nervous system, restricted to certain tribes in New Guinea, marked by loss of muscular control and thought to be caused by a slow virus

---

kuru Scientific  

/ kr′o̅o̅ /

1. A rare, progressive, degenerative neurological disease found in certain peoples of New Guinea and associated with cannibalism. It is thought to be caused by a prion and results in a fatal encephalopathy.

2. See Note at prion

---

Etymology

Origin of kuru

First recorded in 1955–60; < a dialect of Fore, a language of the Eastern Highlands District

Example Sentences

Cole and his team landed on an unfurling fern coil with many points of contact for the design of Payakan’s kuru.

From New York Times

Once the Fore phased the ritual out, the spread of kuru was stopped in its tracks.

From Science Magazine

Mad Cow Disease is the most famous, but kuru also possesses a certain notoriety thanks to its unorthodox mode of transmission.

From Scientific American

The microscopic holes seen in the brains of kuru patients resembled those found in another rare disorder, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and both illnesses began with trembling and loss of muscle control.

From Washington Post

Many had died of kuru, a neurodegenerative condition similar to mad cow disease, and their tissues contained the pathogen, spreading it even further.

From New York Times