Kuru is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disease that primarily affected the Fore people of Papua New Guinea. It is caused by prion proteins, which are misfolded proteins that induce abnormal folding of normal proteins in the brain. Kuru was historically transmitted through the practice of ritualistic cannibalism, where the brains of deceased individuals were consumed. Symptoms of Kuru include tremors, loss of coordination, and severe neurological decline, leading to death within months to years after onset. The disease is part of a group of disorders known as prion diseases, which also includes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy).