Nurse Érika Fernandes Viana dies from rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Érika Fernandes Viana, a 51-year-old nurse from Goiás, Brazil, has passed away six months after being diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Viana, who worked in the public health network in Senador Canedo and Goiânia, began experiencing symptoms such as dizziness in late 2025, which were initially mistaken for labyrinthitis.

As the neurodegenerative condition progressed, she lost motor functions, eventually requiring a walker before losing the ability to move her limbs. CJD is a rare, fatal, and incurable disease caused by the modification of prion proteins, which leads to brain damage. According to the Ministry of Health, Brazil recorded 547 confirmed cases of the disease between 2005 and 2021.

Viana’s diagnosis follows a similar case involving digital influencer Lito Sousa, who was diagnosed with the same condition in August. The Regional Nursing Council of Goiás (Coren-GO) and local officials have expressed their condolences following her death.