How is CJD Transmitted?
cCJD has been spread to other people by injections of contaminated human pituitary hormones, from grafts of dura mater, transplanted corneas and exposure to contaminated neurosurgical equipment. vCJD may be transmitted to humans via the consumption of contaminated beef products and possibly via blood and blood products.
CJD is not an airborne disease, nor can it be transmitted through touching or casual contact. This means that close family of sporadic CJD patients at no more risk of infection than the rest of the general population. Infection has been passed in some cases by various transplant operations such as dura mater grafts (the tissue covering the brain) or a cornea transplant. In other cases the use of insufficiently sterilised electrodes in the brain have caused infection, while there is also a risk of infection through the use of pituitary growth hormone which has been created from the pituitary glands of cadavers. When infection is linked to a medical procedure, doctors refer to the case as an iatrogenic case. When, in Great Britain and France, the new variant CJD (vCJD or nvCJD) appeared in patients under the average age for the disease, there was concern that by consuming beef contaminated with the disease, BSE could be passed to humans. While tests do show that there is a strong similar
CJD cannot be transmitted through the air or through touching or most other forms of casual contact. Spouses and other household members of sporadic CJD patients have no higher risk of contracting the disease than the general population. However, exposure to brain tissue and spinal cord fluid from infected individuals should be avoided to prevent transmission of the disease through these materials. In some cases, CJD has spread to other people from grafts of dura mater (a tissue that covers the brain), transplanted corneas, implantation of inadequately sterilized electrodes in the brain, and injections of contaminated pituitary growth hormone derived from human pituitary glands taken from cadavers. Doctors call these cases that are linked to medical procedures iatrogenic cases. Since 1985, all human growth hormone used in the United States has been synthesized by recombinant DNA procedures, which eliminates the risk of transmitting CJD by this route. The appearance of the new variant o
CJD cannot be transmitted through the air or through touching or most other forms of casual contact. Spouses and other household members of sporadic CJD patients have no higher risk of contracting the disease than the general population. In some cases, CJD has spread to other people from grafts of dura mater (a tissue that covers the brain), transplanted corneas, implantation of inadequately sterilized electrodes in the brain, and injections of contaminated pituitary growth hormone derived from human pituitary glands taken from cadavers. Many people are concerned that it may be possible to transmit CJD through blood and related blood products such as plasma. Some animal studies suggest that contaminated blood and related products may transmit the disease, although this has never been shown in humans. Even though millions of people receive blood transfusions each year, there are no reported cases of someone contracting CJD from a transfusion. Even among people with hemophilia, who somet
CJD cannot be transmitted through the air or through touching or most other forms of casual contact. Spouses and other household members of sporadic CJD patients have no higher risk of contracting the disease than the general population. However, exposure to brain tissue and spinal cord fluid from infected patients should be avoided to prevent transmission of the disease through these materials. In some cases, CJD has spread to other people from grafts of dura mater (a tissue that covers the brain), transplanted corneas, implantation of inadequately sterilized electrodes in the brain, and injections of contaminated pituitary growth hormone derived from human pituitary glands taken from cadavers. Doctors call these cases that are linked to medical procedures iatrogenic cases. Since 1985, all human growth hormone used in the United States has been synthesized by recombinant DNA procedures, which eliminates the risk of transmitting CJD by this route. The appearance of the new variant of C
