库鲁病（Kuru）是一种不可治愈的退化性人类传染性海绵状脑病（Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy），一般认为其病原体为朊毒体，与克雅二氏病类似。症状主要有头痛、关节疼痛和四肢发颤，后期症状则为躯干共济失调。

该病最著名的病例是1950年在巴布亚新几内亚一名为Fore的部落成员间的流行。该病名称即是由该部落语言"kuria/guria"（颤抖）而来。有不少人认为此病是通过该部落成员的族内食人行为而传播的，他们有进食逝去亲属包括脑部在内的身体的习惯。高峰时该病在女性和儿童中的发病率是在男性中的8至9倍。相似的是，该族人吞食已逝亲属的肉以完成后者的“生命循环”时，亦是由该族男性先选择所食部分，然后再由女性和儿童打扫剩下的包括脑部在内的人肉，而脑部正是致病朊毒体含量较高的部分。病理解剖虽然未能找到病原体，但是废除吃死尸的习俗之后，潜伏期漫长的库鲁症终于逐渐消失。库鲁症是人吃死人的习俗造成朊毒体感染而蔓延的，而疯牛病是因为牛吃死羊或死牛，才开始蔓延的。

Kuru is an incurable degenerative neurological disorder endemic to tribal regions of Papua New Guinea. It is a type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, caused by a prion found in humans.

The term "kuru" derives from the Fore word "kuria/guria" ("to shake"), a reference to the body tremors that are a classic symptom of the disease; it is also known among the Fore as the "laughing sickness" due to the pathologic bursts of laughter people would display when afflicted with the disease. It is now widely accepted that kuru was transmitted among members of the Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea via funerary cannibalism.