§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease arising as a result of medical intervention.
§ Mr. SackvilleThere is no evidence that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has been transmitted in the United Kingdom through any human organs or tissues other than pituitary gland extracts or dura mater.
There has been one reported case, in the United States of America in 1974, in which a patient who had previously received a corneal transplant subsequently developed CJD, and another possible case related to the transplantation of heart membrane tissue.
Cases of CJD in the United Kingdom continue to be monitored, and particular attention paid to factors in the patient's medical history that could possibly have caused CJD.
We are satisfied that existing controls protect the public from transmission of CJD through medical interventions. However, the Department will urgently assess any new evidence which suggests a need to review these controls, and will provide further guidance as necessary.
A document summarising the situation has been placed in the Library.