- A 2nd possible case of a patient contracting variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease [abbreviated as CJD (new var.) or vCJD in ProMED-mail]
through a blood transfusion has been confirmed, the Department of Health
(DOH) said today. The patient received a blood transfusion in 1999 from
a donor who later went on to develop vCJD -- the human form of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE) or "mad cow disease".
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- The DoH said the patient died of causes unrelated to
vCJD, but a post-mortem revealed the presence of the vCJD agent in the
spleen, according to the National CJD Surveillance Unit. The development
followed the 1st reported case of a patient contracting vCJD from a blood
transfusion which was announced by Health Secretary John Reid in December
2003. The patient, who received donor blood during an operation in 1997,
developed vCJD and died 6 years later.
-
- In response to that case -- thought to be the 1st person-to-person
transmission of vCJD in the world -- the Government banned anyone who had
received a blood transfusion since January 1980 from donating blood in
the future. The DoH said today that it was now extending measures to cover
a larger group of transfusion recipients who will no longer be allowed
to give blood from 2 Aug 2004.
-
- Dr Reid said today, "We are continuing to follow
a highly precautionary approach. Although people may have concerns about
the implications of this announcement, I would emphasise again that the
exclusion criteria are being tightened because of a small but unquantifiable
risk. People should continue to have a blood transfusion when it is really
necessary. Any slight risk associated with receiving blood must be balanced
against the significant risk of not receiving that blood when it is most
needed."
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- http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3238602
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- Patricia A. Doyle, PhD Please visit my "Emerging
Diseases" message board at: http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?
- Cat=&Board=emergingdiseases
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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