What is the connection between kuru and cannibalism? Does human cannibalism still exist in the world? What health problems can it cause? To answer these questions, we must know what kuru is: a neurodegenerative infection with no known cure. There are only two ways to contract it: one is by ingesting a brain that is infected with kuru prions, and the second is by coming into contact with a wound or sore that contains infected prions. Prions are abnormal proteins that cause normal proteins in the brain to fold abnormally, leading to neurological diseases and tissue damage. 

Some symptoms of kuru include loss of coordination, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, mood swings, occasional uncontrollable laughter or crying, and muscle tremors. Kuru emerged among the Fore people in the highlands of New Guinea, where cannibalism is still practiced in certain funeral rites as opposed to out of a bout of mental illness or drugs which is still common around the world , specifically by eating the brain of the deceased. This is probably where most infections occur. The infection rate for women and children is higher than for men due to the differing attendance rates at funerals, which supports the theory that infections occur during these practices. This tradition persists despite government disapproval in New Guinea. 

Cannibalism still exists in the world, but it is not widely practiced. Every so often, we hear horrifying stories, such as in 2012 when a homeless man in Miami ate a woman’s face, or when a trio of men killed a woman and sold empanadas made from her flesh. However, these are isolated events often caused by drugs or mental illness. There are only a few places where cannibalism is still culturally practiced, with New Guinea being one of them. Isolated tribes all over the world, such as those in the Naihehe Caves in Fiji  and the exiled Aghori monks of Varanasi in India, who drink from human skulls and eat human flesh as part of their rituals to achieve spiritual enlightenment, also engage in this practice. It is safe to say that cannibalism still occurs in various forms around the world. So it is safe to say that Cannibalism is still practiced around the world for one reason or another but is seeing a decline in popularity and kuru is going with it.