We are all aware of the danger of being exposed to the blood of someone infected with AIDS. But, how many are concerned about being exposed to the blood of someone infected with CJD (human mad cow)? The danger appears to be more of a concern as I view the situation. Not only do we have to be concerned about the blood of humans, but also the blood of animals that have been infected with a multitude of spongiform diseases. Pet food many times is made with bone and blood from animals that could be infected.
Why do we believe blood is a viable threat to human health?
The following is current from the United States FDA....
*******************************************
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
Advisory Committee Meeting
February 8, 2005
Silver Spring, MD
Topic 3: Deferral of Blood and Plasma Donors for History of Transfusion in European Countries
Issue:
In January 2002, FDA recommended deferral of blood and plasma donors who received blood transfusions in the U.K. since 1980 as an additional safeguard against potential transmission of vCJD by blood products. FDA seeks the advice of the Committee whether this deferral now should be expanded to include history of transfusion in other European countries.
Background
At the October 14, 2004 meeting of the TSE Advisory Committee, FDA asked the Committee to consider whether any modifications of protective measures for the US blood supply were indicated. These discussions were prompted by the recent observation of two cases of vCJD in individuals who received transfusions derived from asymptomatic blood donors who later developed vCJD. One of these cases was heterozygous for met/val at codon 129 and neurologically asymptomatic at the time of death, but exhibited prion protein in the lymphoid tissues. This scenario potentially reflects longer-incubation vCJD infection in met/val heterozygous individuals who may have been exposed to the vCJD agent. The committee did not recommend additional donor deferral actions at the October, 2004 meeting. However, there was discussion in two areas: a) the predictive value of the donor travel/residence eligibility questions, and b) the possibility that deferral for transfusion in other European countries outside of the UK may be worthy of additional consideration.
French Health authorities recommended deferral of donors that had previously been transfused in 1998. In December 2004 the Dutch Health Ministry announced that individuals who had received any blood transfusion since 1980 would no longer be eligible as blood donors. This policy resulted in an estimated 8% loss of the Dutch donor base.