A fantasy novel I read in 1998 with a subplot involving the BSE crisis and lycanthropic connotations without it specifically having werewolves involved.

[Paul]

I read this book in 1998 and presume it to be a 1990's novel but it is possible that it was wrote in the 80's. I thought the name was 'Wolftooth' but only a couple of factual books I have located under that title. **Potential Spoilers**
I would describe what I remember about this book as a dark fantasy novel. I remember the plot centered around a day in a smallish village, that during one of its fate days, the food cooked and served to the community had been tainted by BSE and the full implications of that would come to pass during the next coming full eclipse. I believe this is approximately 1 month from the time of the start of the novel. The main protagonist finds a magical wolf tooth that can help overcome what is about to transpire. The beginning of the novel I vaguely remember that an older man has just been released from prison and is heading back to the village via the bus. He is thinking heavily about sating his sexual appetites and is not bothered whether that is with a man or a woman. I am not sure what crime it was that he had committed but it may of been of a sexual nature. I believe a theme running throughout the novel is the transformation of the populace of this village from who they were, into what they are becoming through this tainted meat . All other memories are even more vague. I remember reading this during a time I was into lycanthropic books such as the Howling. I enjoyed it but it was different to how I thought it was going to be. I would just like to reread it. Thanks in advance for any help cheers :)