Estimates of vCJD Carriers in UK Double (BBC News / NHS Choices / BMJ)

Summary

A study of 32,000 human appendix samples from 41 hospitals in the UK indicates that 1 in 2,000 British people may be carrying the abnormal prions associated with variant CJD (the human form of “mad cow” disease). It is uncertain whether people carrying the vCJD protein will develop any symptoms of rapid-onset dementia and neurodegeneration, or within which timescale.

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Reference

Roberts, M. (2013). Estimate doubled for vCJD carriers in UK. London: BBC Health News, October 15^th 2013.

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Reference

“Mad cow protein” carried by 1 in 2,000 people. London: NHS Choices; Behind the Headlines, October 16th 2013.

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Reference

Gill, ON. Spencer, Y. [and] Richard-Loendt, A. [et al] (2013). Prevalent abnormal prion protein in human appendixes after bovine spongiform encephalopathy epizootic: large-scale survey. BMJ, October 2013; 347: f5675 (Published online October 15^th 2013).