Search is on for CJD blood test

19 August 1998

Search is on for CJD blood test

GOVERNMENT officials are to spend £500,000 to develop a test to screen blood for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

The research will be conducted by the Public Health Laboratory service in Leeds and headed by Dr Stephen Dealler, who has heavily criticised the previous Governments attitude towards the BSE crisis.

Experts will work with scientists from biotechnology company Proteus which has developed a diagnostic test currently used in Ireland to test beef for BSE.

The test uses antibodies to identify the modified “rogue” prion protein believed to cause CJD, BSE and other related diseases such as scrapie in sheep.

• BSE test “just another crackpot idea”, FWi, 29 January
• Tesco “interested in BSE test”, FWi, 28 January
• Sainsburys considers BSE test, FWi, 27 January
• Irish supermarket tests meat products for BSE, FWi, 20 January
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  The Times 19/08/98 page 9, page 20
• The Independent 19/08/98 page 8
• Financial Times 19/08/98 page 22
• The Guardian 19/08/98 page 4
• The Scotsman 19/08/98 page 2