Sydney man Frank Burton initially visited his GP five weeks ago, and was diagnosed with ‘something unusual’. Unfortunately, a rapid progression of symptoms saw Mr Burton eventually diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), which is a variant of Mad Cow Disease.
With no treatment available, Mr Burton was initially given three months to live but that time frame has been reduced to only two or three weeks. CGD sufferers experience a total loss of movement in their limbs and complete loss of speech, within the space of a few weeks.
NSW Health has called for calm, insisting the rare degenerative disease that affects one in a million people per year in Australia, is not linked to the consumption of meat products. RPA has said the condition poses no risk of infection to others.

Mr Burton was the financial officer and treasurer of the Sydney Swans in the 1980’s and 1990’s.