Defence Refutes Claims About Mad Cow Disease
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has rejected reports suggesting that two of its employees have died of the fatal mad cow disease (MCD).
The department said over the past two years, two cases were alleged to have been of the disease, "however, after tests and investigations this was found not to be true."
The first case occurred in 2002 when a patient began to exhibit some symptoms.
With the private sector unable to make a diagnosis, the patient was referred to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria that made the diagnosis as Creutzfeld Jakob Disease (CJD).
In the most recent case a patient died last week after showing CJD symptoms.
Upon examination, a private doctor diagnosed the patient as having had a stroke. She was evaluated by the military hospital and also diagnosed with CJD.
"The Department of Defence confirms that no patient in the military environment has died or been diagnosed with MCD," it affirmed.
The department said CJD was a deadly brain illness that affects about one person per million per year, and was therefore a rare disease and only diagnosed where countries had high-level diagnostic surveillance.
It said Mad Cow Disease typically affects youth patients and has a course lasting up to several years whereas CJD has a much more aggressive course.
-
13 Mai 2004 à 16:22 dans
- zsandf (anglais)
