BMJ  2006;332:1164-1165 (20 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7551.1164

Editorial

A new human genotype prone to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

New evidence may rekindle fears of a larger epidemic and greater risk of iatrogenic spread

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

From the initial discovery of variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (vCJD) in the United Kingdom a decade ago, there has been concern about the ultimate extent and magnitude of the epidemic.¹ Early estimates varied widely, with one model predicting up to 136 000 cases.² Fortunately, the magnitude of the epidemic at present seems to match the lower limit of the early estimates, with 161 definite or probable cases in the United Kingdom. However, the article by Ironside and colleagues on p 1186 may rekindle fears that a larger epidemic is an ongoing threat.³

The study reports a genotype analysis that identified the presence of the homozygous valine (VV) genotype in two samples of appendix tissue that harboured prion proteins. The implication of this finding of most concern is that it raises the possibility that ongoing iatrogenic transmission of vCJD may sustain the epidemic.

Why are the findings from this study worrisome? . . . [Full text of this article]

Department of Medicine, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 2C4
(kumanan.wilson@uhn.on.ca)

Office of Public Health Practice, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON

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• Barron, R. M., Campbell, S. L., King, D., Bellon, A., Chapman, K. E., Williamson, R. A., Manson, J. C. (2007). High Titers of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Infectivity Associated with Extremely Low Levels of PrPSc in Vivo. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 35878-35886 [Abstract] [Full text]  

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