CJD passed from mother to child?
6 March 2000
CJD passed from mother to child?
THE birth of Britains first baby with a suspected case of the human form of BSE has triggered the possibility of a “double nightmare”, reports the Daily Mail.
If the child is found to have new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, this will be the first time the disease will have been passed form mother to child.
Children of nvCJD sufferers until now had shown no signs of the illness.
Fears are also raised that the surgical instruments used to give birth to the baby girl could have infected other women giving birth in the hospital, and surgical staff.
The equipment has since been destroyed.
The child was born by caesarean section to a woman in her mid-20s in a West Midlands hospital four months ago.
CJD expert Professor John Collinge of Imperial College, London told the Mail that transmission from mother to child “was always on the cards”.
He said sheep pass the similar condition scrapie to their young, and there is good evidence that one in 10 cattle transmit the disease to calves.
It is widely believed that nvCJD is contracted from eating meat infected with BSE.
- Tests ease BSE baby fears, FWi, 29 February, 2000
- Human BSE suspected in baby, FWi, 29 February, 2000
- Daily Mail 06/03/2000 page 9
- The Guardian 06/03/2000 page 12
- The Daily Telegraph 06/03/2000 page 4