Creutzfeldt-Jakob Cases Probed in Canada

Local media is reporting that four suspected cases of the human variant of mad cow disease have emerged in western Canada.

The degenerative brain disease Creutzfeldt-Jakob is so rare that it is odd for four suspected cases to crop up at once, CBC News quoted British Columbia Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall as saying.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease / Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare form of degenerative brain disorder, or brain damage that leads to a rapid decrease of mental function and movement.

There are two strains of the disease, and one is linked to infected cows. But Kendall said the four cases diagnosed in the Fraser Valley area east of Vancouver were not believed to stem from eating tainted beef.

"I would not worry about this being the beef-associated variant," Kendall said.

British Columbia gets five to six reported cases a year, he added.

Iron Imbalance Due to Prion Proteins in Brain Could Lead to Cell Death in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Researchers reveal that cell death in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) could be due to iron imbalance caused by prion proteins collecting in the brain.

One of the patients has died and a sample of brain tissue is being analyzed. The diagnosis on the other three can only be made post-mortem.

Source-AFP

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease may be Caused by Surgery
A new study says that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or mad cow disease may be transmitted through surgery.

Tougher Guidelines On Re-Use Of Surgical Instruments Needed To Prevent Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Scientist want tougher guidelines to be imposed on re-use of surgical instruments to prevent the spread of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).