Which of the Following is Classified as a Spongiform Encephalopathy

Question

Which of the following is classified as a spongiform encephalopathy?
A) botulism
B) variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
C) Hansen's disease
D) arboviral encephalitis
E) African sleeping sickness

Accepted Answer

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is a type of spongiform encephalopathy. Spongiform encephalopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases that are triggered by abnormal proteins called prions. Botulism, Hansen's disease, arboviral encephalitis, and African sleeping sickness are not spongiform encephalopathies.