Medical tests on a young Irishman have confirmed that he is suffering from variant CJD, the human form of mad cow disease, a Dublin hospital spokesman revealed. It is believed to be the first case of the fatal brain disease to originate within Ireland as a result of eating beef infected with BSE. Last month the hospital, which is not being identified to protect the privacy of the patient, said it was treating a man in his early 20s with suspected vCJD.
