Action Needed To Prevent Spread Of vCJD (Mad Cow In Humans)

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Action Needed To Prevent Spread Of vCJD

January 16, 2004

(British Medical Journal) -- Urgent action is needed to protect the public from

variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), a senior member of the Medical

Research Council writes in this week's BMJ.

 

Dr Sheila Bird argues that the death of the first probable victim of vCJD from a

blood transfusion means that steps must be taken to define the rights and

responsibilities of those at risk, as well as the general public.

 

Because there is no way of testing blood for vCJD, people who have received

products that may be contaminated need to be managed as if the disease had been

diagnosed. This means that they must accept certain responsibilities, such as

refraining from blood donation and providing information to ascertain the size

of the risk to others. It will also be necessary to clarify criminal justice

liabilities for reckless transmission of the disease.

 

However, steps must also be taken to protect patients' rights, for example by

protecting them against intrusion from the press.

 

Dr Bird also argues that the case has implications for tests (due to begin this

year) for prion protein in tonsils collected from children and adults following

tonsilectomy. While it is not certain that a child whose tonsillar tissue tests

positive for abnormal prion will develop vCJD, they are potentially at risk. The

potential transmission of vCJD through blood may now mean that any positive

specimens will have to be identified, raising issues of anonymity and parental

consent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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