High-profile court battles and survivors

Despite the rareness of a CJD diagnosis in Ireland, there have been a number of high-profile incidents involving the lethal condition in recent years.

From one of the longest survivors of the disease in history to court battles over the first human use of a highly controversial drug treatment, calls for a compensation system for those needlessly infected. to an infection person donating blood, CJD has grabbed the headlines whenever it has appeared.

Jonathan Simms confounded medical experts by living for 10 years with CJD, one of the longest known survival rates.