Generally speaking, prions are located in the brain, spinal cord and even the retina. But they also can reside in other areas like the spleen, bone marrow and lymph nodes, with low levels also found in the blood. 

One of the most dangerous aspects of the disease is that cooking meat doesn’t change the risk, unlike other health risks meat may pose. And disinfectants and ultraviolet light don’t help. 

That said, laws have been enacted that prohibit importing potentially affected animals from countries where the disease has been found. This ban extends to meat ingredients in the foods we eat as well as the foods that our animals and pets eat. 

This is a good thing because when it comes to CJD associated with cattle consumption, it can be tough to tell just what’s going on until a person has severe symptoms. For example, WebMD reports that initially the disease can give off general symptoms, like depression and coordination issues. Then dementia will occur, which also can mislead healthcare professionals to misdiagnose the disease. Finally, as the disease advances, experts can piece all of the symptoms together. At this point, CJD can be detected due to brain abnormalities seen in an MRI. Patients will then die about 13 months after symptoms occur. 

However, CJD itself isn’t just limited to connections with mad cow disease. In other words, CJD can develop without consuming beef. According to WebMD, CJD that is seen with mad cow disease is called variant CJD. But the other form of CJD is called sporadic CJD, also known as classic CJD.

In general, classic CJD strikes with age. It is said to be most common in older people over age 65. And like variant CJD, it is fatal, with patients dying in about six months once symptoms are seen.