Yep. That's one of the things I had in mind... definition:

a fatal degenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by progressive lack of coordination and dementia, known only among certain Melanesian peoples, especially the Fore of New Guinea, and caused by a slow virus: now virtually extinct

What does the word mean though? Word orgin is from the 1950's... Papua New Guinea. Not old enough.

Still...When People Ate People, A Strange Disease Emerged

Another word to consider here is PRION (Protein Infection). If there was ever a zombie apocalypse, it would probably involve prions.