28 year old man dying from Mad Cow Disease Brighton Argus Today

[Beaaware]

www.theargus.co.uk/news/10631032.Doctors_tell_28_year_old_Saltdean_vegetarian_he_has_just_months_to_live_after_contracting_CJD/?ref=mmpg

[VivaLeBeaver]

I knew this would be you!

[WestmorlandSausage]

ahhh thought it was a while since we had heard from you

[Beaaware]

come on some sympathy for the victim please

[VivaLeBeaver]

I have sympathy for him.

How do they know for sure its cjd though? I thought it could only be identified on post mortum?

[scubastevie]

Link not working?

[Beaaware]

www.theargus.co.uk/news/10631032.Doctors_tell_28_year_old_Saltdean_vegetarian_he_has_just_months_to_live_after_contracting_CJD/

[Beaaware]

VivaLeBeaver,
The National Prion Clinic have developed a vCJD blood test that is how Ritchi was diagnosed. Poor guy I wonder how he was infected, he was born the year the BSE scandal hit the headlines 1985, experts say that we can incubate this for upto 50 years.

[AnneUulmelmahay]

Hello beaware, thank you for the link. Poor fellow.

Those who mock beaware, please be kind. I don't expect you to know of the background to beaware's postings on this topic.

[CockyFox]

It's a terrible disease, a neighbour of my parents died from it was absolutely shocking what it did to her. She left behind 2 young children.

Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about it now, just hope that the vast number of cases that were once expected never materialize.

[VivaLeBeaver]

I didn't mean to sound mocking and I have had sensible discussions with Beaaware on the subject before. It just stands out that its all the OP posts about. Which is fair enough....but I just knew a cjd thread would be from them.

Obviously the OP could be a regular who name changes for these threads. Again fair enough if they want to keep this separate from their main name as it were.

[CatAmongThePigeons]

vCJD is a bastard of a disease. I can't access the link though.

[VivaLeBeaver]

I hadn't realised that a blood test had been developed.

Are there plans for any form of wider screening?

Am curious as last I heard on the subject some people had had enters from hospitals saying they'd inadvertently been exposed to cjd during surgical proceedures. (We talked about this at the time Beaaware, about prions not been killed off). Afaik these people got letters and were told there was no test so they had a huge shadow over them but no way of knowing.

Are they now getting tested? If I were them I'd want to know one way or another.

[VivaLeBeaver]

www.theargus.co.uk/news/10631032.Doctors_tell_28_year_old_Saltdean_vegetarian_he_has_just_months_to_live_after_contracting_CJD/?ref=mmpg

[Beaaware]

The Daily Mail are featuring this story on the front page if the argus link does not work.

Cockyfox there are many many young victims of this disease, please look up this website for more info www.justiceforandy.com and justice4andy.com Andrew was just 24 when he died. Pass on the info to all you know, there is also a facebook site under CJD awareness, many now questioning how rare this actually is, so many dying around the world, not so sure it is that rare.

[edam]

What a tragedy. It's bizarre (thank heavens) that there have been so few cases, given almost the whole country was exposed to BSE. Appalling for everyone who did succumb, of course, but I do wonder whether the numbers will mount up in years to come. Maybe it's something that will hit people at a certain age? If it only becomes apparently in very old age, maybe cases are being classified as dementia & mobility problems you expect in your 70s or 80s.

Interesting to hear that they've developed a test.

[twistyfeet]

Do you think there is still BSE in cows or are the cases coming up from exposure years back.
I remember when the decision was made to eat only cows under 3 years old (ie, before symptoms develop) and thought then but surely that wont eliminate CJD if there's maternal transmission. The cow may have BSE but just isnt displaying symptoms before slaughter?
I havent eaten beef since 1985 but I still wonder about it and I have had blood transfusions.

[Beaaware]

twistfeet see these links BSE testing on UK cattle was withdrawn in March 2013 as I understand, but it was still being reported in UK cattle in 2012 on this website www.oie.int/animal-health-in-the-world/bse-specific-data/number-of-reported-cases-worldwide-excluding-the-united-kingdom/

www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/dec/11/bse-testing-cattle-food-unnecessary?CMP=twt_fd

[Beaaware]

edam here is the clinic where people suspected of having vCJD are given the vCJD blood test www.prion.ucl.ac.uk/clinical-services/

look up these links I think you will find them interesting:

www.taintedblood.info/news.php?mode=article&newsid=257

www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/newforest/news/4576821.Campaign_for_vCJD_blood_screening/

[Beaaware]

www.prion.ucl.ac.uk/clinic-services/information/acquired-prion-disease/

[wannaBe]

haven't been able to look at the link (and I refuse to read the daily mail), but even before blood tests were developed iirc diagnosis was achieved through illumination of other diseases iyswim.

My assistant at work died of CJD in 2005. It was a horrible illness and tbh death for her was a relief. she had been diagnosed about a year before her death, but exact cause of death couldn't be confirmed until afterwards.

tbh I'm not sure what is to be achieved by publishing articles about people dying of cjd, other than to cause further panic like before.

[Methe]

Exactly wannabe. It's not like we can do anything about it now, it it?

[Beaaware]

wannaBe, I am so sorry to read about your work colleague that died from this dreadful disease, I have just finished reading a book available on amazon titled 'Who Killed My Son' by Christine Lord, apparently this book is receiving very good reviews and a must for anyone who wants to know what went on in those dark days of the BSE scandal.