(10 Dec 2000) English/Nat
XFA
Reports suggest a South African woman may have died of mad cow disease, the first such possible case in the country.
Laboratory tests showed that Ronel Eckard, 35, may have contracted variant CJD, the human strain of BSE mad cow disease, her husband Ken told the South African media.
However, agricultural authorities deny that any cases of BSE or the human form, variant CJD, have occurred in South Africa but added that it would be necessary to examine Eckard's pathology reports.
Many people have died from variant CJD, mainly in the UK. But South Africa does not import British beef.
Ronel Eckard became ill in February. She lost the feeling in her arms and legs, and her speech became slurred.
Months of tests followed, with doctors suspecting cancer and multiple sclerosis.
Two weeks before her death Ronel underwent a brain biopsy and was diagnosed with CJD, but laboratory tests were unable to determine what variant it was.
Dr. Ben Makgale, who examined Eckard before she died, said her symptoms were consistent with those of mad cow disease.
"There could be a link, but we can't say for sure," he told the Sunday Times newspaper.
The tissue on which the biopsy was performed was destroyed, making it impossible to prove the exact cause of death.
Eckard did not know how his wife, who had never travelled abroad, may have contracted the disease.
But he added that his late wife loved eating hamburgers.
Scientists believe mad cow disease is spread through cattle eating meal containing tissue from animals with infected tissue.
In 1996, a link was established between the disease and variant CJD, which humans are thought to contract by eating infected meat.
More than 80 people have died from the disease, mainly in Britain, where the beef industry has been under scrutiny for its practices and safety standards.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"About two weeks before she passed away we took her to the hospital and they did the brain biopsy there and she was there in I-C-U for about a week. The results came out and then for the first time in my life I learnt about Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease and the doctor explained to me what it is and what's waiting for us and two weeks after that my wife passed away and at that stage she couldn't speak anymore."
SUPER CAPTION: Ken Eckard, Husband of Ronel Eckard
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The trauma my little kid went through, unbelievable. She's seeing a psychiatrist at this stage but I can see that she's suffering. She went through this whole ordeal with her mother. You know, I think she lost about 60 kilograms since the day she got sick until the day she passed away. He told me that this disease is from meat but we know so little about it and only afterwards you speak to people they told me that they've read on the internet that it might be from hamburger patties."
SUPER CAPTION: Ken Eckard, Husband of Ronel Eckard
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