First vCJD case
A man is being treated in a Dublin hospital with what is allegedly the first case of variant CJD to originate in the Republic of Ireland. He is said to be in a serious condition and further tests are expected to be carried out. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is one of a small group of fatal diseases caused by infectious agents called prions, which attack the brain. New variant CJD (vCJD) is caused by exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and typically affects younger people. The patient is understood to be a man in his early 20s. Professor William Hall, chairman of the Irish Government’s CJD Advisory Committee, said the public should not panic.
