> I read this Canadian pres article this moring about the
>transmissibility of prions. This statement was made during the Krever
>inquiry into Canada's tainted (eg. HIV and HepB and HepC) blood system.
> It seems one Dr. Nathan Kobrinsky said a 'virus' called Jakob
>Creutzfeld could be transmitted via blood transfusions. To support his
>point he lists two patients in the US who died of Creutzfeld Jakod
>Disease (CJD) without receiving hGH or corneal transplants or the like.
>>I have seceral quesitons:
>>1. I assume the paper made an error saying CJD is caused by a virus and
>not Dr. Korbinsky not knowing about prions.
>>2. If I am not mistaken there are familial forms of CJD where the prion
>protein gene becomes mutated, correct?
>>3. Finally, and most importantly, this business about blood
>transmission. From the papers I have read I think to myself 'Not Bloody
>Likely' (Pun intended). Aren't prions transmitted primarily in neural
>tissue.
>>Any comments. answers?
>>--
>__________________________________________________________________
> Duane
> University of Manitoba; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
>umfunk15 at cc.umanitoba.ca
Won't dare try to answer 1. Don't know the answer to 2. but am interested.
WR2 #3 - several years ago at a History of Virology meeting, Gajdushek (the
original king of Kuru) said that a "cluster" of 2 or 3 CJD cases occured in
a small private hospital in England and transmission was attributed to
inadequate sterilization - I think this would imply that it could be
blood-borne.
Muriel Lederman lederman at vt.edu 703.231.5702 (phone)
Department of Biology 703.231.9307 (fax)
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg VA 24061-0406
