What is the human form of mad cow disease?
It is a variant of an illness called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a brain disorder that seems to strike out of nowhere, causing dementia and death. There are several forms of CJD that sporadically occur at low levels (one in 1 million people) in all populations. But the new variant that emerged in England in the mid-1990s — about a decade after the first cases in cattle — is distinctive. It is found more often in young people, has a longer course of illness before death, is specifically linked to the consumption of infected beef and looks different under a microscope. Both classic CJD and the variant, which is called vCJD, are believed by most scientists to be caused by brain proteins called prions that become misshapen. Q: Can it be cured? A: There is no known treatment or cure. Patients are given supportive care, but the disease is always fatal. Since 1995, at least 155 cases have been detected. Q: Are Americans dying of the disease? A: No. There has been only one positively diag
