CJD-variant could kill thousands, says scientist

A SCIENTIFIC team that discovered the link between mad cow disease and a new form of CJD yesterday warned that it could claim thousands of lives.

Members of the CJD Surveillance Unit admitted yesterday that they were in the dark about the effects of the new form of the disease that has already killed 25 people. Speaking at the BSE inquiry, Simon Cousens, an epidemiologist, said it was impossible to know how many deaths there would be. "At the moment it's really not possible to say whether there might be few more than a dozen or up to 100 or many thousands."