- Hello, Jeff - Remember when we were told by the "experts"
that the risk of contracting mad anything disease was minimal? Simply don't
eat brain meat from older cattle and all is well with the food supply.
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- Well, ever-so-quietly, our government has now admitted
that there is a risk of infection via saliva, feces, and urine... and that
even transportation of infected animals long distances could spread the
disease. And now, from Scotland, comes a warning that there is a clear
risk of spreading mad brain disease via blood and blood transfusions as
well. Hardly a surprise. I next expect to hear that there is also risk
via sexual transmission. I think that "infective" or "programmed"
prions have permeated our food supply as well as blood supply and hospital
and entire dental system.
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- Time to really start to worry.
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- Patty
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- Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Concerns Prompt
Warning On Transfusions
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- By Tom Curtis
Scotland on Sunday (newspaper)
12-8-02
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- Blood transfusion patients should ask whether the procedure
is "absolutely necessary" because of the unknown risk of contracting
(CJD) variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Scotland's transfusion chief has
warned. Professor Ian Franklin said although there was no current evidence
that blood products can transmit the infectious agent which causes the
human equivalent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), it remained
a possibility. He said that meant attitudes to transfusions which could
be avoided needed to change.
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- Professor Franklin, Medical Director of the Scottish
National Blood Transfusion Service, was speaking following a row over hemophiliacs
who were not told for 2 years that they might have been exposed to blood
products from a donor who later developed vCJD. He said: "I don't
want to mistakenly give the impression of being completely reassuring here.
We prefer to use the term unknown or uncertain risk (of becoming infected
via blood transmission -ed). There may well be a risk.
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- "That shouldn't make people worried about a transfusion
if it's going to save their life or maintain their quality of life, but
they should consult with their doctors whether a transfusion is absolutely
necessary. We would support that." He said examples where it might
be better to avoid a transfusion, as a precaution, included patients who
were slightly anemic following hospital treatment. He added: "If you
look at the history of blood transfusion it will tell you it's not a zero-risk
product."
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- Professor James Ironside, of the CJD Surveillance Unit
in Edinburgh, said Franklin's advice was "reasonable".
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