HC Deb 16 November 1998 vol 319 cc442-3W
Mr. Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent his Department has recorded which of the known new-variant CJD victims were previously blood donors; if he will publish the information his Department has collated on this matter; and if he will take steps to trace and destroy blood retained by the Blood Transfusion Service from these individuals. [59982]

Ms Jowell

Cases of new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease are reported to the CJD Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh which informs the United Kingdom blood services. Four such cases have been notified and steps have been taken to trace and withdraw components or products from the donation, as a precautionary measure whenever this has been possible.

Mr. Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what screening tests are currently available for new-variant CJD; [59985]

(2) what efforts his Department is making to develop a test for new-variant CJD. [59984]

Ms Jowell

There are no screening tests for new variant CJD (nvCJD) currently available. The diagnosis can be confirmed only by direct examination of brain tissue.

The development of efficient diagnostic techniques for CJD was identified in the Government's strategy for research relating to the human health aspects of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) published in November 1996. Efficient diagnostic techniques are vital to the assessment of disease mechanisms, to diagnosing the presence of the disease in a patient and to epidemiological surveillance.

The Department is currently funding the Public Health Laboratory Service for two specific projects in this regard. One project is aimed at the development of panels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for the evaluation of tests for CJD, and the other is aimed at the development of a sensitive and specific test for the detection of abnormal Prion Protein in blood and urine samples.

A complete list of Government funded research on diagnostic tests for TSEs is available on the Medical Research Council's Website at http://www.mrc.ac.uldtse_tb2.htm.

Mr. Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the risk of transmitting new-variant CJD by blood transfusion. [59980]

Ms Jowell

The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee considered all available risk assessments in June 1998. Following this the Committee recommended that the Government should extend the use of leucodepletion for all blood destined for transfusion as soon as practically possible to reduce the theoretical risk of transmission of new-variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

Mr. Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the risk of infection by new-variant CJD posed to close blood line relatives of the known new-variant CJD victims. [59979]

Ms Jowell

There is no scientific evidence to suggest that patients with new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease pose any risk of transmitting the infection to close blood line relatives.

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