Man falls victim to CJD in the North

A new case of new variant CJD - the human form of Mad Cow’s Disease - has been diagnosed in the North.

The case is the second in the North and the victim who was admitted to hospital last week is said to be in a stable condition.

Dr Tom Esmond, a consultant neurologist at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital where the man is being treated, insisted this did not represent the tip of an iceberg.

He said: ‘‘As yet there’s no firm indication that we have an explosion of cases in the UK or elsewhere.’’

Although there is no treatment for the condition, Dr Esmond pointed out that every effort was being made to monitor instances of the disease.

‘‘Certainly we are very much on the lookout for and perhaps more aware of it and more interested in it because of the emergence of BSE and the new variant form of CJD that has occurred,’’ he told BBC Radio Ulster.

‘‘There are far more cases that are notified to the CJD unit in Edinburgh than actually turn out to be cases of CJD.’’