an incurable degenerative disease of the nervous system thought to be caused by an unusual virus that incubates in the body for many years before symptoms appear
See Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
A rare, usually fatal disease of the brain, characterized by progressive dementia and gradual loss of muscle control, that occurs most often in middle age and is caused by a slow virus. Also called Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease.
Origin:
Origin: After Hans G. Creutzfeld (1883-1964)
Origin: and Alfons M. Jakob (1884-1931), German psychiatrists