MADISON, Wis. -- University of Wisconsin Hospital officials said Thursday that at least 53 patients were potentially exposed to a rare neurological disease.

A woman in her 50s died of classic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Tuesday. She underwent surgery at UW Hospital on June 11, WISC-TV reported.

The disease was diagnosed Monday, after a brain biopsy.

The state Department of Health Services said the patient died from the classic case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a naturally occurring but very rare neurological disorder.

UW Hospital officials said they believe there is a small chance that 53 other patients there were exposed to the disease, but the hospital has alerted those involved.

Health officials said there is not a public health threat beyond the 53 people.

Those patients underwent surgeries or procedures where instruments used on the CJD patient were possibly used during their procedures, either on brain tissue or spinal tissue.

So far, none of the 53 people have shown any symptoms of the neurological disorder, but the disease can take years to show symptoms, WISC-TV reported.

Clinical signs and symptoms of classic CJD include dementia and early neurologic signs. The median age of those with CJD is 68.

A classic case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is very rare and usually fatal within a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which points out on its Web site that this disease is not related to "mad cow disease."

According to the CDC, the disease only occurs in one in a million patients.

Health officials said this classic case of the disease is very different from the variant form of CJD, more commonly known as mad cow disease. Variant CJD includes psychiatric behavioral symptoms and delayed neurologic signs, according to the CDC.

It is unknown where the patient was from or other circumstances surrounding the death.

UW Hospital has scheduled a news conference for Friday morning to discuss the case.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.

For More Info:

U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention's Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Information

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