State Census Data Center - Demographic, social, economic, migration, and housing data from the decennial censuses, the American Community Survey, the Current Population Survey, and other special and periodic surveys.
Prions are a disease-causing form of a normal protein called cellular prion protein (PrPC) that is located primarily on the surface of central nervous system cells but also in other tissues of the body in mammals.
The abnormal protein builds up in the brain, forming clumps that damage or destroy neurons. The loss of these cells creates microscopic sponge-like holes (vacuoles) in the brain, which leads to the signs and symptoms of prion disease.