Letter : Link between BSE and CJD not proven

Sir: The article on CJD predictions (26 November) contained a number of inaccurate statements attributed to the CJD Surveillance Unit, including "the peak [of the epidemic] occurring in about seven years' time", "the total number of cases will be in hundreds, rather than thousands", and "the number of cases has doubled in the past two years".

Perhaps more seriously, the article suggests that the calculations "destroy for ever" the assertion that BSE "posed no threat to human health". Mathematical calculations do not constitute evidence for or against a causative link between BSE and CJD.

The work on examining possible future scenarios is continuing and it is disappointing that comments should be made about work that is not yet complete, let alone published.

Dr R G WILL

Consultant Neurologist

S COUSENS

Senior Lecturer

National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit

Edinburgh