Category: Prion diseases

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prions cannot be destroyed by standard cooking methods, including boiling, frying, or radiation. This means that simply cooking meat does not prevent mad cow disease, also known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).

According to research from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, prions require temperatures of 900°F and above for several hours to be reliably destroyed. This astonishing heat resistance is the primary reason why the question 'can you get prions from cooked meat?' requires a nuanced and serious answer for public health. Understanding why standard cooking methods are ineffective against these misfolded proteins is crucial for preventing transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).

Over 2,700 people from the Fore tribe in Papua New Guinea died from a fatal neurological disease called Kuru, which was transmitted through ritualistic consumption of human brains. This grim history illustrates the devastating risk inherent in eating primate brain tissue, raising the critical question: are monkey brains good for you? The short, definitive answer, supported by medical science, is no.

The disease Kuru, documented in the Fore people of Papua New Guinea, was transmitted through the ritualistic consumption of infected human brain tissue. This practice highlights the significant health risks associated with eating brain, particularly human brain, though various cultures incorporate animal brains into their cuisine as a delicacy.

While prion diseases like 'mad cow' are notoriously fatal in mammals, extensive scientific research has confirmed that salmon do not have prions, specifically the infectious form that causes these neurodegenerative illnesses. Fears about prions in seafood, though understandable given their resistance, are largely unfounded due to significant biological species barriers.