First documented in the 1920’s, Classical CJD is a neurodegenerative disease with:

• Sporadic occurrence in people with a mean age of 60
• An incidence rate of one-in-one million worldwide
• No evidence of transmissibility through blood
• There are usually about 25 to 30 cases in Canada each year

Variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (vCJD) differs from Classical CJD in that it:

• Occurs in people with a mean age under 30
• Is caused by the same prion agent causing Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow Disease
• Is believed to be transmissible through blood
• In North America, there have been two confirmed cases: one in Saskatchewan, Canada and one in Florida, USA (both orginated in the U.K.).