CJD threat recedes

UK researchers predict as few as 40 British variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) victims due to eating infected meat, in the next 80 years.

The Imperial College, London A team predicted 540 cases at worst.

Some early estimates had suggested to 50,000 cases. To date, government figures indicate 129 probable cases of vCJD in the UK. Since a peak of 28 deaths in 2000, the number declined to 17 last year and only eight so far this year.