Yuk Yuk's: Sunday, June 20, 2004 (Ottawa); special limited-seating Father's Day dinner at 6 p.m. (be there for 5:00) though; show starts at 7:30 but the doors open at 7 (SOLD OUT)
Zaphod Beeblebrox: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 (Ottawa); doors open at 4:00; show starts at 5:00 p.m.; get there for 4:10 to secure a good seat
There are four forms of CJD:
Sporadic CJD: The cause of sporadic CJD (also called classical CJD) remains unknown, but the disease mainly affects those over the age of 50. Sporadic CJD is marked by rapid onset of dementia. The course of the disease is usually measured in months.
Familial CJD: This is an inherited form of CJD. Those affected appear to be genetically predisposed to produce the abnormal form of prion proteins. People usually develop familial CJD at an earlier age than the sporadic form and the course of the illness is usually longer.
Iatrogenic CJD: This form of CJD arises from contamination with tissue from an infected person, usually as a result of a medical procedure such as corneal transplants, grafts or the use of growth hormone. A few people have been infected through the use of neurosurgical instruments.
Today, no transplants are taken from infected people, growth hormone is made artificially and surgical instruments used on people with CJD are never used on other patients.
Variant CJD and the link with BSE: In 1996, a new type of CJD, variant CJD, was reported. Variant CJD appears to affect younger people than the other forms of the disease. The average age of death is 29 years. (However, one case of a 74-year-old man with variant CJD has been reported.)
There is now evidence that variant CJD is caused by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a form of prion disease affecting cattle. Prion diseases have been found in several other animal species, including sheep (scrapie), deer, cats, mink and zoo animals. The consumption of infected beef products appears to have led to the development of BSE in humans.
Since 1989, action has been taken to remove those parts of cattle where the greatest concentrations of infective agent are found, including brains and spinal cords, from the human food chain.
There is some evidence that the number of deaths from variant CJD has reached a peak and is now in decline. However, there is currently no firm scientific basis for predicting future numbers of cases of variant CJD and there could be more than one peak to the epidemic. One problem is that the length of the incubation period for the disease remains uncertain. Prions may exist in the body for many years before symptoms begin.
