Kuru is a progressive, invariably fatal cerebellar degeneration which occurs in a limited area of the New Guinea Highlands. The word kuru is derived from a term in the Fore language meaning to shake from fear, and it stems from the trembling which is a conspicuous symptom. Few neurologic diseases have attracted the attention of specialists in so many disciplines. No rare disease can have aroused more interest among the laity. Apart from an extensive scientific and anthropological literature, kuru has been the source of inspiration to journalists and travel writers, and it even occupies a prominent position in the plot of a popular novel. The facts concerning kuru are no less remarkable than the mythology that has grown up around it.
库鲁病是一种进行性、必然致命的小脑退化疾病，发生在新几内亚高地的一个有限区域。“库鲁”一词源自福尔语中的一个词，意思是因恐惧而颤抖，它源于颤抖这一明显症状。很少有神经系统疾病能吸引如此多学科的专家关注。没有哪种罕见病能在普通民众中引起更大的兴趣。除了大量的科学和人类学文献外，库鲁病还激发了记者和旅行作家的灵感，甚至在一部通俗小说的情节中占据显著位置。关于库鲁病的事实与围绕它发展起来的神话一样引人注目。
