Virus-like particles in Creutzfeldt-Jakob biopsy material.

In an electron microscopic study of brain biopsy material from 6 patients with Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, virus-like particles resembling herpes have been seen. These particles were found only in reactive astrocytes. In 2 out of 6 Creutzfeldt-Jacob brain biopsies some profiles were filled with tubular structures resembling the nucleocapsid of paramyxovirus. The findings are compared with other neurological conditions.