CJD blood test 'a step closer'...(mad cow disease)

[SoCalDem]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5153590.stm
Thursday, 6 July 2006, 23:44 GMT 00:44 UK

CJD blood test 'a step closer'

vCJD is likely to be transmitted via blood..

A blood test to detect the human form of mad cow disease before it causes symptoms is a step closer, say experts. Spanish and US scientists have found a way to detect infection in hamsters before the animal shows signs of illness. More work is needed before a similar test could be used in humans, but the findings offer hope of a screening test for vCJD, Science reports. Currently, it is only possible to confirm vCJD infection after death.

Detection

A test for vCJD is badly needed, especially now that some cases appear to have been transmitted by blood transfusions, say Dr Paula Saa and colleagues from the University of Texas. In the UK, there have been three reported cases of variant-CJD associated with a blood transfusion to date. The first of these was identified in December 2003. Since then the Department of Health has asked all recipients of blood transfusions not to donate blood as a precautionary measure to protect the blood supply from vCJD.

This is because it has not yet been possible to screen donated blood for vCJD, unlike some other infections.

The test developed by Dr Saa's team detects prion proteins - the infectious agents that are thought to be responsible for vCJD.

snip

[donsu]

1. kicking

nt

[denverbill]

2. What they really need is a blood test for cattle.

I'd feel a helluva lot safer if every cow in the US was checked before slaughter, rather than just the few that actually show symptoms.