Few fear risk of catching CJD

Britons are largely unworried about the risks of catching Creutzfeldt- Jakob Disease (CJD), the human equivalent of mad cow disease, from eating beef, but almost half of parents have stopped feeding it to their children, writes Charles Arthur.

A nationwide survey found that people are more worried about conventional health problems, such as being overweight, than CJD. The survey was carried out last month when fears about the dangers of BSE and CJD were at their height. A nationally representative sample found that 80 per cent had few qualms that eating beef could lead to CJD. However, 40 per cent of parents with children under 15 had stopped feeding it to children, and a third of people said they were buying less beef. People under 24 were marginally more concerned about the risks, with one in four young adults expressing worry, compared to one in six of those aged over 55.