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From: TSS ()
In Reply to: Re: NOTIFICATION EXERCISE BEGINS TO REDUCE RISK OF VCJD TRANSMISSION posted by TSS on July 20, 2005 at 12:19 pm:
100 blood donors may have human 'mad cow disease' LOUISE GRAY Concern that some blood donors may be carrying the disease arose after three recipients went on to develop variant CJD. They will also be asked not to donate blood, tissue or organs and to inform doctors so extra precautions can be taken should they need to have surgery. There are six Scots among the 110 donors. All will be offered counselling to cope with the news. It is possible that up to 3,000 other patients, who received blood from the donors but have not shown signs of vCJD, could be contacted in future, but experts are still considering what measures to take. Health chiefs stressed there was no evidence the incurable condition is contracted through the blood. But a growing number of cases have been linked to blood transfusions from an infected donor. Dr Aileen Keel, the deputy chief medical officer, said: "Although there is no proven link to these six donors, it is sensible that we take precautionary measures to protect the public." However, Keith Thompson, the director of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, urged donors to not be put off by the vCJD scare. He said: "Blood donors are highly committed to helping other people and we greatly value their contribution." In December 2003, the government announced the first case of a patient who died from vCJD after receiving blood from an infected donor, which was thought to be the first person-to-person transmission of vCJD in the world. In response to that, anyone who had received a blood transfusion since January 1980 was banned from donating blood in the future. In 2004, another case emerged of a blood transfusion patient who was later found to be carrying vCJD, although the person died from other causes. The patient received a transfusion in 1999 from a donor who later developed vCJD. There is currently no reliable test to screen blood for vCJD, making it impossible to tell if someone without symptoms is carrying the agent. It is also not known how long someone can carry vCJD before becoming ill and it is possible some people will never develop symptoms. http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1659512005 Six donors told not to give blood amid fears of vCJD SIX people in Scotland have been told not to give any more blood, or donate organs or tissues, amid fears they could have the human form of mad cow disease. SCOTS IN CJD BLOOD DONOR SCARE Jul 21 2005 A HUNDRED blood donors were yesterday warned they might have the human form of mad cow disease The alert came after three people died from variant CJD after receiving transfusions from the blood given by the 100 donors. And health experts yesterday believed it was possible up to 3000 other patients had received blood from the donors, who include six from Scotland. So far they had not shown any signs of having the disease. The 100 donors across Britain have been contacted as a precaution. Health chiefs were still unclear last night if the three victims had died as a result of contaminated blood or after eating BSE-infected meat Dr Aileen Keel, the Scottish Executive's deputy chief medical officer, said: 'Only six donors out of 450,000 are implicated in Scotland. 'They have been contacted directly by the blood transfusion service. 'This is one of several measures already carried out and aimed at making blood as safe as possible.' She said the alerted donors had also been told not to donate organs or tissues in case they are infected with vCJD. The affected donors have all been offered counselling. Those with vCJD can live for years without showing any symptoms. As yet, there is no test for the brain-wasting disease in donated blood, but health experts hope to have one in 2008. Keith Thompson, national director of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, urged blood donors not to be put off by the scare. He said: 'You cannot contract this disease by donating blood. 'The NHS in Scotland depends upon their continued commitment to donation.' Precautions were first brought in to combat against contaminated blood in 1999. That's when experts found a potential for the virus to be transmitted through blood. So far, 156 people in the UK have been diagnosed with vCJD and most have died. Of these, four have been confirmed as having had blood transfusions http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15760661&method=full&siteid=89488&headline=scots-in-cjd-blood-donor-scare--name_page.html PLEASE NOTE, this only one strain of many they are concerned about. other strains in cattle such as BASE, they have never done studies on. or other strains in the USA such as the strains in Mission Texas, where USA scrapie was transmitted to USA cattle. It did NOT look like UK BSE.
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