HC Deb 25 March 1982 vol 20 cc402-3W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department is sponsoring any research into the psychiatric condition known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

The main Government funded body supporting research into this disease is the Medical Research Council, from its grant-in-aid from the science budget of the Department of Education and Science.

Under arrangements by which the Health Departments inform the council of their priorities and needs for biomedical research the demential have been identified as a priority.

I understand from the council that research into Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease forms part of the programme of the recently established Joint Agricultural Research Council/Medical Research Council neuropathogenesis unit in Edinburgh, which is studying the biology of diseases of the nervous system caused by unconventional agents, in particular scrapie in sheep and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in man. In addition, the Medical Research Council is providing grant support for research on the characteristics of the agent(s) responsible for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease as well as for an epidemiological study of the disease.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice is given to staff who come into contact with patients suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is extremely rare, and there is no convincing evidence of its spread to other patients, or to saff, in normal conditions.

A few reports suggesting that the disease could be transmitted in unusual circumstances had been made from other countries, and an advisory group on the management of patients with spongiform encephalopathy—Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease—was set up by the Health Departments in 1979. The report of this group was published in November 1981, and circulated throughout the National Health Service, and to professional organisations and journals. It contains guidance for all staff coming into contact with patients, or samples from patients, suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people he estimates have died from Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease over the past five years; and how many cases per year on average are diagnosed.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

Under the eighth revision of the International Classification of Diseases, deaths from spongiform encephalopathy—Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease—were assigned to mental disorders or to diseases of the nervous system according to whether the disease was with or without dementia. From 1979, the ninth Revision of ICD classifies the disease—without mention of dementia—to slow virus infection of central nervous system.

There is no recent information on the number of deaths from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with dementia. An analysis of deaths in 1973 found only one death which was certified in that way. Such deaths are included in ICD category 290.1—presenile dementia.

The available information on the numbers of deaths from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease without mention of dementia is as follows:

Numbers
1974 23
1975 11
1976 21
1977 N/A
1978 N/A
1979 22
1980 25
*1974–1978 333.9 (part)
*1979–1980 046.1
* ICD category

Data are not available for cases diagnosed, but the advisory group on the management of patients with Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease estimated that no more than 20 new cases a year are likely to be identifed in the United Kingdom.