Well, aside from the government ineptitude-angle of the story (or conspiracy to block investigation, whatever you want to call it), CJD is definitely a frightening disease. Especially if the immediate cause cannot be identified and isolated.

Article doesn't say how the patients are related, in geography, time, etc. Did the patients all have surgeries at some point? CJD/prions can persist on medical equipment used to treat a CJD patient even if sterilized in the usual (non-extreme) ways. Where were they located? Not enough info.

A long time ago, like 1997, I gave up eating beef (for a variety of reasons, one of which was mad cow being in the news -- I know, that's a little extreme on its own, but I had other reasons too). That's at least an avoidable factor. But to think that there's this disease that is highly lethal and incurable, and potentially transmitted by medical instruments, well, ugh. creepy. Like Lasik surgery in some medical plaza office, where the tools are lightly sterilized after operating on the eyes, one of the umm, most highly concentrated prion-carrying body parts of someone who carries a prion infection.

I happen to comment on this thread particularly now because a distant friend-of-family member just came down with this disease, and died within weeks of first symptoms onset. My family (who were skeptical, borderline mocking, of my swearing off beef years ago) were suddenly interested in talking to me all about it...