All clinically-relevant blood components transmit prion disease following a single blood transfusion: a sheep model of vCJD.

ABSTRACT: Variant CJD (vCJD) is an incurable, infectious human disease, likely arising from the consumption of BSE-contaminated meat products. Whilst the epidemic appears to be waning, there is much concern that vCJD infection may be perpetuated in humans by the transfusion of contaminated blood products. Since 2004, several cases of transfusion-associated vCJD transmission have been reported and linked to blood collected from pre-clinically affected donors. Using an animal model in which the disease manifested resembles that of humans affected with vCJD, we examined which blood components used in human medicine are likely to pose the greatest risk of transmitting vCJD via transfusion. We collected two full units of blood from BSE-infected donor animals during the pre-clinical phase of infection. Us

SUBMITTER: McCutcheon S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3157369 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature