What is vCJD?

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) is also called human mad cow disease or human bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). It is a rare, degenerative and fatal brain disease that can occur in people.

What is CJD or vCJD?

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and variant CJD (vCJD) General introduction. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is the prototype of a family of rare and fatal human degenerative conditions characterized by progressive brain dysfunction. CJD falls into four categories: sporadic, familial, iatrogenic and variant.

When was the first case of vCJD?

It was first identified in March 1996 in the UK, when 10 cases of a new disease with neurological symptoms were reported and soon associated with the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), “mad cow”-disease.

What is vCJD risk?

There is no known treatment of vCJD and it is invariably fatal. The current risk for infection with the BSE agent among travelers to Europe is extremely small, if it exists at all. The median age at death from vCJD in the United Kingdom has been 28 years and almost all cases have been in persons under age 55 years.

How does vCJD affect the body?

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) causes the brain to become damaged over time. It is fatal. Symptoms include: Tingling, burning, or prickling in the face, hands, feet, and legs.

Did Ireland have mad cow disease?

DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland said on Wednesday that a dead cow had been confirmed as having bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), known as mad cow disease, but said it had not entered the food chain and there was no risk to human health or beef’s trade status.

Who is most at risk for CJD?

Most cases of sporadic CJD occur in adults aged between 45 and 75. On average, symptoms develop between the ages of 60 and 65. Despite being the most common type of CJD, sporadic CJD is still very rare, affecting only 1 or 2 people in every million each year in the UK.