Trickle-Down Mad Cow? How about our Blood Supply?

[DS1]

I can't donate blood in the US since I stepped foot in England post 1980, it's a new rule, and I wonder if they traced the blood I donated before the rule and destroyed it?

Furthermore, and most importantly, should/will this rule now apply to Western states, or the entire country? What gives?

Thoughts?

[Zeke]

1. Bush Is Toast When...

Mad-coffee starts trickling down at Starbucks.

Just wait.

It'll happen.

[liberalnurse]

2. There have been no effective research

on the issue. The disease can incubate for 10 years....difficult to track.

[Heddi]

3. This is a really good point

I wonder what the UK is doing about it since they had the most cases of vCJD, and like the other poster said, it can have a long incubation period and often people who have it (if they're elderly) are mistaken for having other dx's like Alzheimers.

:shudder:

[DS1]

4. thx, I foolishly thought there might be a number ideas about this

here :shrug:

[northzax]

5. ah, but interestingly

(I also am a victim of living in the UK in my wayward youth, which put a stop my my pint every 8 weeks habit)

As I recall, vCJD is supposed to affect people at a much younger age than CJD itself. THe research that tied MadCow to vCJD implied that there would be a massive influx of young (sub-30) Brits falling to the ground with brains like swiss cheese. There has been only a minimal uptick in the rates of CJD (which can actually be fairly easily traced to the fact that it can only be diagnosed formally with an autopsy, how many victims were never diagnosed before everyone had heard of it? There have been what, 20 cases?

I have seen no evidence that blood transfusions can transmit vCJD, if, in fact, humans can even get it, which has yet to be conslusivly proven) but I can understand why the Red Cross and the FDA would want to employ the cautionary principle on this one. Still, I think the time has come to apply more and more research to this subject, to find out if, in fact, vCJD in humans exists. Otherwise, we'll be stuck with non-travelling, heterosexual vegitarians as our only source of blood donations. and there aren't enough of them.