§ Sir Harold WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines he has issued regarding the acceptability of blood donations from the relatives of persons suffering or who have died from the new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. [17809]
§ Mr. HoramThe National Blood Service guidelines exclude from giving blood relatives of people who are suffering from, or who have died from, any form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what tests are available to demonstrate that blood does not contain the agent of the new variant CJD. [18022]
§ Mr. HoramThere is no test available to detect Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, including the new variant, in the blood of living persons.
The safety of blood is kept under regular review by the expert advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation. There is no evidence of any risk of transmission of CJD through blood or blood products. However, as a precautionary measure, the National Blood Service guidelines exclude from giving blood people who, as a result of personal health factors or treatment received, might be at risk of developing CJD, and people with a family history of CJD.