Kuru is characterized by a range of neurological symptoms, which progress through three stages: the ambulant stage, the sedentary stage, and the terminal stage. Initial symptoms include unsteady gait, tremors, and slurred speech. As the disease progresses, individuals experience severe loss of coordination, muscle wasting, and eventually become bedridden. The terminal stage is marked by difficulty swallowing, incontinence, and death, often due to complications like secondary infections.