First CJD victim was not linked to BSE

19 October 1998

First CJD victim ‘was not linked to BSE’

THE British girl supposed to have been the worlds first victim of “mad cow” disease, did not die from eating BSE-infected beef, new research has found.

Post-mortem results show Vicky Rimmer died from “classical” Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), which, unlike new variant CJD (nvCJD), has no proven link with BSE.

The conclusion is about to be revealed by the National CJD Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh, which will also publish information on the 28 other deaths so far linked to BSE.

The data will show the onset of nvCJD symptoms and the date of death for each person.

• The Independent 19/10/98 page 5