CJD belongs to the family of what are called prion diseases, a unique group of neurodegenerative diseases that can be transmitted. Although the precise nature of the disease’s transmission remains uncertain, a key event in these disorders is the conversion of the prion protein’s normal cells to an abnormal form that appears to be the major (if not the sole) component of the infection.
克雅氏病是所谓朊病毒疾病的一种，这种疾病包括特定的一些能够传染的退行性神经疾病。尽管疾病传播的准确特质还不太清楚，但其主要的结果是导致正常的朊蛋白细胞转化为一种非正常形式，从而构成主要（甚至是唯一）的感染原因。