Report reveals regional difference in vCJD cases, UK

Main Category: CJD / vCJD / Mad Cow Disease
Article Date: 19 Oct 2004 - 16:00 PDT

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The incidences of vCJD across the UK continues to show a "North - South" difference, according to the latest annual report by the National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit.

However, scientists are unable to explain the regional differences and the only statistically significant geographic cluster of vCJD cases in the UK was in Leicestershire.

The report also concludes that there may be evidence to suggest that the UK's so-called "mad-cow" disease epidemic may have peaked.

The number of confirmed or probable UK cases of vCJD reached 145 at the end of last year, with a total of 139 deaths reported.

vCJD is believed to be the result of eating beef infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, a brain disease of cattle and some scientist believe that the disease may incubate for around 30 years.

The full report is available at http://www.cjd.ed.ac.uk

http://www.hda-online.org.uk

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