A patient has been diagnosed with Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (mad cow disease). The nurse recognizes this disease is caused by a:
A) prion.
B) virus.
C) protozoa.
D) fungus.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Prions are protein particles that lack nucleic acids and are not inactivated by usual procedures for destroying viruses. They do not trigger an immune response but instead cause degenerative neurological disease such as variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (mad cow disease).

A Patient Has Been Diagnosed with Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (Mad