Health Risks of Cannibalism
What you should know before consuming your fellow man
Do your neighbors look tasty?
I hope not. Beyond the glaring ethical implications of cannibalism, a diet of human parts isn’t the most nutritious or health-conscious choice.
The most dangerous side-effect is “kuru,” which occurs in the consumption of human brains. Kuru is a prion, a type of incurable, progressive neurodegenerative disorder. This means that the disease affects the brain and spine, worsening as time goes on. Other notable prions include CJD and Mad Cow Disease.
Kuru-infected cannibals experience severe symptoms including a loss of motor skills, dementia, behavioral changes, and pathological outbursts of laughter or crying. Sometimes, kuru is referred to as the “laughing death.”
However, kuru’s most characteristic symptom is the incessant tremors and random body spasms. In fact, the term “kuru” literally translates to “the shivering.” Once the tremors begin, you have entered the last stage before death.
In just one year after contracting kuru, brain-eaters are completely bed-ridden and unable to speak or swallow. As dementia sets in at full force, cannibals will not appear distressed about their health either. Eventually, the combination of all these symptoms…
