A STUDENT who was brought up as a vegetarian and rarely ate meat has died of variant CJD, the human form of “mad cow” disease.

Jorawar Gill, 20, died this month after suffering from vCJD for about two years. His family, who are Sikhs, think that he could have contracted it by eating gelatin and they want to know why his condition was not diagnosed for a year.

A link has been established between gelatin, which is made from the boiled bones, skins and tendons of animals, and is used in produce such as yoghurt and wine, and vCJD. Richard Knight, a neurologist at the National CJD Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh, said: “We have had an instance of a vegetarian contracting the disease.”

Mr Gill, from near Sutton Coldfield, was initially treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham when he became ill shortly after his 18th birthday. He had gained ten grade-A GCSEs but was forced to give up his A levels.

Despite his symptoms, his family say that he was not given a diagnosis of vCJD until April last year, when he was referred to St Mary’s Hospital in London.

Jodhbir Gill, 23, said of his brother: “Jorawar was brought up as a vegetarian and our parents do not eat meat at all. He did very occasionally eat beef when he was out but only on a handful of occasions. We feel we should never have lost him.” Queen Elizabeth Hospital said: “When he first came to the hospital, his symptoms were not typical of those associated with vCJD.”

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