Transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease to the stumptail macaque (Macaca arctoides).

The successful transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease from both affected human and chimpanzee brain to stumptail macaques has been accomplished. The incubation period of 5 yr was the same for both animals; however, the course of the disease was longer in the animal receiving the human brain. In both cases, initial mild symptoms slowly remitted only to reappear some 4 mo later. Muscle biopsies revealed changes suggestive of a mild neuropathy. In addition, there appeared to be an increased ability to incorporate 3H-thymidine in untreated cultures of lymphocytes from peripheral blood.