By Steve Mitchell

United Press International

Published 3/24/2004 1:14 PM

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WASHINGTON, March 24 (UPI) -- A 62-year old man in Northern New Jersey has died from a brain disorder that appears to be Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which, if confirmed, would be the fifth case of the rare disease in a little over a year in a two-county area, United Press International has learned.

 

The death last Friday of Ronald Swartz, of Denville, also would be the second CJD case in 2004 in New Jersey, where federal and state health authorities are investigating a potential cluster of cases of the rare brain disorder in the southern region of the state.

 

UPI also has learned that officials have reopened the case of a Philadelphia woman who died in 2000 and that case also is included among those in the possible cluster. Carrie Mahan, 29, died from a brain disorder that was never identified, but which physicians initially suspected of being the nation's first case of variant CJD, the form of the disease linked to mad cow disease.

 

The possible CJD cluster is associated with the Garden State Race Track in Cherry Hill, where as many as 13 CJD deaths might have occurred among employees and patrons who ate at the now defunct track. Both variant CJD and the spontaneously occurring form of the disease -- called sporadic CJD or simply CJD -- are incurable conditions that degenerate the brain and ultimately cause death.

 

Swartz's case does not appear linked to the racetrack, but if his death turns out to be due to CJD, it would make five confirmed or probable cases of the disease in the adjoining area of Somerset and Morris counties within a span of only 15 months.

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honestly, do we really need New Jersey anymore?

 

between the boss and bon jovi, they're really not supplying us with outdated 80s rockers like they used to....

honestly, do we really need New Jersey anymore?

 

between the boss and bon jovi, they're really not supplying us with outdated 80s rockers like they used to....

PLus all these people were hanging out at a bad race track.

That means mad cow disease was in something somewhere...

That means mad cow disease was in something somewhere...

Thank you master of the obvious. lol

 

In all seriousness, it is something frightening to think about - is there more of the tainted meat out there or diseased cows being slaughtered? :puke

Thank you master of the obvious. lol

 

In all seriousness, it is something frightening to think about - is there more of the tainted meat out there or diseased cows being slaughtered?  :puke

That is what I was getting at. I think there is much more than just one cow that has had CJD. Obviously a significant amount got through somehow.

That is what I was getting at.  I think there is much more than just one cow that has had CJD.  Obviously a significant amount got through somehow.

And these cases started long before that cow as discovered.

And these cases started long before that cow as discovered.

Exactly. Either the FDA ignored the problem, or their testing was so piss poor that this all was missed by the safeties.