Brenda Sutcliffe (Letters, May 3) drew attention to the fact that organophosphorous (Dichlorfos) is now banned as an insecticide in the home, but organophosphorous insecticides are nevertheless still used on children's heads.

Some people (like me) think this could possibly amount for the youngsters killed by CJD. The infective feed theory, with the misformed prions, resulting from the disorder, being treated as the vectors, was given credence in the media in 1996 by the President of the Royal Society at that time, neurobiologist Sir Aaron Klug, who underwrote restrictions on feed and beef -- but solely "on the precautionary principle".

The only evidence he had to go on was a half dozen trials of inter-species transmissibility, to which research had been diverted, of which he was good enough to send me the transcripts.

They were all inconclusive so far as identifying the vector for the disorder was concerned since they all used raw whole brain homogenate from cows with BSE, so they all contained all possible vectors (whatever caused BSE) as well as the misformed prions caused by the disorder; no tests were done for anything other than the prions as evidence of BSE.

No proper official trials had been carried out into OP as vectors then, so the PRS had nothing else to go on, and none have been to date, seven years later!

Given the negligent handling of the BSE outbreak by MAFF we would all have CJD by now if it were a simple infection rather than a genetic disorder due to manganese taking the place of copper in the formation of routine replacement prions in the brain cells of the few who, by bad luck, are genetically vulnerable to this malformation.

The rest of us will not get the disorder, unless flooded with manganese from industrial pollution like a population in Slovakia downwind of an Eastern Bloc chrome steel works, with more CJD in five miles than in the whole of the UK.

OP captures all the copper atoms allowing manganese to take its place.

Mark Purdey has demonstrated scientifically the role of OP in triggering the BSE epidemic, but the establishment maintains its pretences to save itself embarrassment, as well as liability for damages.

The biological establishment is in the pay of the giant pharmaceutical companies who carry out most of the research. Scientific establishments are wooden ships, once in full sail before the prevailing wind there is no stopping them without shooting them out of the water.

Lord Walsingham
The Hassocks,  Merton,  Thetford,  Norfolk