UK to report on transfusion-related vCJD (variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) risk assessment:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The UK is preparing to announce the results of an exercise to assess the risk of transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) via blood transfusion. It follows the confirmation in July of a second case of suspected infection. Precautionary measures were adopted in December 2003, following the first reported case. The problem surrounds the processing of UK plasma pooled from "many thousands" of UK donors. The results of the risk assessment exercise and any further precautionary measures will be announced at the end of a patient-notification exercise currently underway. Switzerland has announced that it is following the UK's lead in restricting the number of people who can be blood donors.