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vCJD
·
On April 7,
2008 Spanish
media
reported
that two
people have
died in
Spain after
contracting
the human
form of "mad
cow
disease",
variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob
Disease (vCJD)
·
The two died
in the
central
region of
Castilla-Leon,
one three
months ago
and the
other last
week,
regional
health
sources were
quoted by
news agency
AFP.
·
The disease
was first
found in
humans in
1995 and is
thought to
be
transmitted
in infected
meat and
bone.
·
One of the
dead was 41
and the
other was
26, Spanish
national
radio said.
·
The health
department
said these
were not the
first vCJD
deaths in
Spain but
did not give
details
·
The only
previous
case of a
death in the
country from
vCJD was in
Madrid, in
2005
·
There are
growing
fears over
the risk
that vCJD,
the human
form of mad
cow disease.
What is vCJD?
·
Variant CJD
or vCJD is
the human
form of BSE.
It first
emerged in
1995 and has
so far
claimed 158
lives in the
UK.
·
The disease,
which
affects the
brain, is
believed to
have passed
from cattle
to humans
through
infected
meat.
·
It causes
personality
change, loss
of body
function,
and
eventually
death. It is
thought to
be caused by
rogue
proteins
called
prions.
·
Doctors are
testing a
number of
experimental
treatments.
However, as
yet there is
no cure.
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