Two more deaths from new-form CJD reported

MP Wants Kent Link to CJD Investigated

The Labour chairman of an influential Commons committee has called for an independent investigation into the spread of Creutzfeld-Jackob disease, the human form of "mad cow" disease.

The Chairman of the Health Select Committee, David Hinchliffe, has asked the Prime Minister for a judicial inquiry after six deaths from CJD were reported in Kent, compared with only one in the whole of London.

Mr Hinchliffe told BBC Radio's The World At One that he was "far from happy" with the previous Government's handling of the issue.

Mr Hinchliffe, MP for Wakefield, said he had sent a detailed letter to Mr Blair early last month asking for such an inquiry. He has had an acknowledgement, but does not expect action on such a complex issue for some time.

David Hinchcliffe:

"serious questions" still to be answered

He believed such an inquiry would help the Government's proposed Food Standards Agency start with a clean sheet. He wanted the inquiry to ask some serious questions of the situation in Kent in particular.

A Kent farm was the scene of the first confirmed outbreak of BSE, "mad-cow" disease, in 1985. In the 1960s there was also a major spillage of a pesticide since linked to CJD. But health officials have tried to calm fears. Dr Mathi Chandrakuma from the East Kent Health Authority said only two of the local deaths were confirmed cases of the new-form CJD.

New Figures Released

The Department of Health issued new figures for deaths from CJD. The figures included both the old strain deaths and the new strain deaths linked to infected beef.

Two further cases of the new strain were reported. This brought to 21 the total number notified to the Government up to the end of June.

Of these, 20 victims had died and one was still alive.

But a further death over the weekend possibly made these statistics out of date.

Mandy Minto, a former judo star, died in Sunderland Royal Hospital. Her death certificate said she died from suspected CJD. A hospital spokesman said the cause was probably the new-form Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease.

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