Follow Ups | Post Followup | Back to Discussion Board | VegSource

From: TSS (216-119-132-51.ipset12.wt.net)
Subject: Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United Kingdom: update
Date: October 21, 2004 at 2:08 pm PST

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United Kingdom: update

Editorial team (eurosurveillance.weekly@hpa.org.uk), Eurosurveillance editorial office

To the end of September 2004, 149 people in the United Kingdom have been clinically diagnosed with variant Creutzfeld-Jakob disease [1]. Five of these patients were still alive. All clinical cases of vCJD with available analysis have been methionine homozygotes at codon 129 of the prion protein gene. The best fitting statistical model (a quadratic) indicates that the epidemic passed a peak in 2000. Extrapolation of the model predicts 6 deaths in the next 12 months (95% prediction interval of 1 to 12). There remains the possibility of future peaks, which may occur in patients in different genetic groups. There is also the possibility of on-going person to person spread.
The recently published twelfth annual report from the United Kingdom National CJD Surveillance Unit provides details on variant, sporadic and iatrogenic (transmitted via medical intervention) CJD in the United Kingdom from May 1990 to 31 December 2003 [2]. It highlighted:

* The identification, in 2003, of the first vCJD case which was likely to have been acquired from a blood transfusion [3].

* The continued north-south variation in the United Kingdom in vCJD incidence. The north of the UK continues to have a higher incidence, although the reason for this is unclear.

* The only statistically significant geographic cluster of vCJD identified so far has been in Leicestershire in 2000 [4].

* Incidence of sporadic CJD in the UK remains similar to that seen in other countries in Europe and the rest of the world.

References:

1. Andrews N. Incidence of variant Creutzfeld Jakob disease: onsets and deaths in the UK. Report. 7 Oct. National Creutzfeld
-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit 2004. (http://www.cjd.ed.ac.uk/vcjdqshort.htm)
2. National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit. Twelfth Annual Report 2003. 18 Oct 2004. (http://www.cjd.ed.ac.uk/twelfth/rep2003.htm)
3. Llewelyn CA, Hewitt PE, Knight RS, Amar K, Cousens S. Possible transmission of vCJD by blood transfusion. Lancet 2004; 363(9407): 417-21.
4. Bryant G, Salmon R. Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Leicestershire, England. Eurosurveillance Weekly 2000; 4(29): 20/07/2000. (http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ew/2000/000720.asp#1)

Greetings,

THIS seems to be very misleading;

* Incidence of sporadic CJD in the UK remains similar to that seen in other countries in Europe and the rest of the world.

indeed, very similar, IT'S RISING !

CANADA 2 IN 94 COMPARED TO 30 IN 2002

FRANCE 35 IN 93 COMPARED TO 102 IN 2003

GERMANY 21 IN 93 COMPARED TO 112 IN 2003

ITALY 27 IN 93 TO COMPARED TO 75 IN 2003

UK 37 IN 93 COMPARED TO 74 IN 2003

USA NOBODY HAS ANY IDEA, there surveillance
system mirrors that of there BSE surveillance, nuff said there...

http://www.eurocjd.ed.ac.uk/sporadic.htm

TSS

Follow Ups:

Post a Followup