Cannibals, Cows and the CJD Catastrophe

This story begins and ends in morgues. It is a chilling medical detective story which traces the explosion of accidentally-acquired CJD (Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease) in humans from the highlands of PNG to fertility programmes in Australia and to the British dining table . It deals with the key characters involved in parallel epidemics both of which first became public knowdege in April 1985.The announcement of a probable beef-related epidemic of a so-called "new-variant" of CJD (Mad Cow's Disease) on March 20, 1996 forced the British Government to admit there may be a lethal contamination of the country's meat products. While the British struggle to allay public fears over beef products, the world also faces a growing epidemic of accidental medical transmission of CJD.This is a disease which kills as devestatingly as AIDS, and as surely as the Ebola virus - but it has a symptom free incubation period that means a generation could pass before the chilling signs of infection emerge. As compelling as a science fiction thriller, this story has serious implications for Australia and countries around the world.About the author:Jennifer Cooke is News Editor at The Sydney Morning Herald and has been tracing this story in Australia and overseas for more than a decade. She resides in Redfern, Sydney.Sales Points:* Every week there are more news items appearing about this disease as more deaths occur and more claims for compensation are heard* No other book exists on the subject and many thousands of people have been exposed to these diseases* Jennifer is a well respected and well connected journalist who can talk about all aspects of this disease in layman's terms - will receive wide coverage on radio* Very likely extract sale * A substantial, brilliantly researched and lively read