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"Why the front page/lead story of the vCJD case?

The story itself is interesting - that the new unfortunate victim is of a different genetic type than that involved before. But to jump from that to the vision of half the population dying of vCJD? What sort of scaremongering is this? To make it the TOP story in the BBC news today?

I have taken out the modifying words in the BBC online story (See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3539156.stm)

people could become infected
experts have warned
follows analysis of a probable transmission
suggests that wider groups of people could be at risk
the incubation period for the disease could be longer for this group
it could also mean they were carrying the disease without being aware of it
CJD Surveillance Unit scientists said it was "very likely indeed" that the infection had been acquired from a blood transfusion.
it was thought that
We don't know for sure how many people will be affected
"It's absolutely possible that there may be a new epidemic

Is it not the case that profs Ironside and Collinge have made a career from public terror of vCJD? When Prof Ironside says "I'm not in the business of scaremongering, but quite clearly the idea that this problem is on the way out is unfortunately not the case at all." is there really any basis for such an assertion? Was funding about to be wound down perhaps?

This sort of scientific story is often either a prelude to some new draconian policy - to ensure that a fearful population makes no objection to it - or else a scare to ensure further funding. No one can do anything about what infection may already be in the population - in the unlikely event that it is. There is no test to diagnose it, no treatment and no cure.

Yet fear of vCJD is theoretical to a vanishing point. In some future scenario there MAY be an epidemic of vCJD. Yet in the near future there WILL be an end to civilisation as we know it because governments do not dare to take action about Western society's suicidal consumption of oil. Mad Now disease. And thanks for the information about "peak oil". It rather puts everything else in the shade, doesn't it?

(Name supplied)