Sponsors (13)
Designates November 12, 2025 as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Awareness Day and records the House’s support for raising public awareness of CJD. The resolution summarizes CJD as a rare, fatal prion disease, underscores the need for continued prion disease surveillance (including postmortem brain examination) and the role of the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, and notes links between prion research and Alzheimer’s research and the burdens on patients, families, and caregivers.
Defines Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) as a rare, fatal brain disorder within a group of illnesses called prion diseases.
States CJD occurs in approximately 1 to 2 cases per million individuals each year, resulting in approximately 600 cases annually in the United States, with 85 percent designated as sporadic, 10 to 15 percent genetic, and fewer than 1 percent acquired.
Describes early-stage symptoms (failing memory, behavioral changes, impaired coordination, visual disturbances) and progressive symptoms (mental deterioration, involuntary movements, blindness, weakness of extremities, and ultimately coma).
States that CJD typically leads to death within a few months to 1 year following onset of symptoms and that CJD is responsible for 1 in 6,000 deaths in the United States each year.
Asserts that comprehensive prion disease surveillance is critical to develop more efficient detection methods and to determine whether humans can acquire the disease through consumption of prion-contaminated beef (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also called "mad cow") or meat from cervids affected by chronic wasting disease (CWD).
Last progress November 10, 2025 (3 months ago)
Introduced on November 10, 2025 by David G. Valadao
Primary impacts are symbolic and awareness-oriented. People diagnosed with CJD and their families and caregivers may benefit indirectly from increased public attention, potential improved detection, and greater interest in research. Clinical pathologists, neurologists, and public‑health surveillance programs could see increased demand for surveillance, referrals, and postmortem examinations if awareness campaigns lead to more testing or reporting. Researchers studying prion diseases and Alzheimer’s disease may gain heightened visibility for funding requests or collaborations, though the resolution itself does not provide funds. Federal or state public‑health agencies, hospitals, and advocacy organizations could use the awareness day for outreach and education. There are no direct regulatory, funding, or programmatic mandates; any operational or financial effects would depend on subsequent policy actions or voluntary activities by agencies and organizations.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Updated 1 hour ago
Last progress November 18, 2025 (3 months ago)