Hundreds of people could die from a ‘second wave’ of deaths related to the human variant of mad cow disease, according to scientists.
The stark warning comes after variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) was diagnosed in a patient with a different genetic profile to all previous victims, meaning the incubation period for the degenerative disease could be longer than previously thought for some of those infected.
All deaths from vCJD to date have involved patients with a genetic profile designated ‘MM’, which is shared by 42% of the population. However, the latest victim has the ‘MV’ designation – in common with 47% of the UK population.
Scientists believe the death toll from vCJD could now more than double, with up to 350 further victims at risk if the pattern is replicated nationwide.
“Given that 160-170 MM individuals were infected [previously] we would estimate that the number of MV victims would be a maximum of 300 to 350,” Chris Higgins, who advises the Government on vCJD, told the BBC.
No comments yet