CJD deaths 'quadrupled since 1995'

The brain disease variant CJD is killing people at an increasing rate, researchers have found.

They found that number of people who have died from the disease has quadrupled since 1995.

In that year vCJD (variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) claimed just three victims, compared to 14 deaths in the first six months of this year alone.

The number of reported cases of vCJD has increased by an average of 23% each year since 1994.

The study was led by Professor Robert Will of the CJD Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh.

There appears to be a real increase in the incidence of vCJD in the UK, which is a cause for concern

Dr Hester Ward, CJD Surveillance Unit

The researchers analysed data about vCJD infections and deaths.

They talked to relatives of patients to find out when symptoms of the disease first became apparent.

75 cases in total

At the start of July the unit had identified a total of 75 cases of vCJD.

Of those 69 patients had died, and 59 cases had been confirmed by examination of the brain after death.

The 16 unconfirmed cases, six of whom were alive, were classified as probable vCJD.

Writing in The Lancet medical journal, the investigators comment that, "given that further cases with onsets in 1999 and 2000 will probably be identified in future months, the number of onsets clearly increases each year".

Researcher Dr Hester Ward said: "Although absolute numbers remain low, there appears to be a real increase in the incidence of vCJD in the UK, which is a cause for concern.

"Until it is known whether this increasing trend is maintained over time, it is difficult to predict future numbers of cases."

It is thought that many of the victims of the new form of CJD are believed to have contracted it from eating meat contaminated with BSE.

The degenerative disease cannot be treated and slowly destroys victims brain functions until they are paralysed, brain damaged, unable to speak and in constant pain.