I used to donate blood all the time (B+) and would get calls from LifeSource begging me to drop by for their vampires to tap me. Then, about a decade ago, I was told I wasn’t eligible to donate because I lived in Germany during the mid-80’s. Apprently there was a mad cow scare going on and they were afraid that myself and others could have contracted it.
Well, I saw an article today about people contracting variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) through blood transfusions and it made me think. Shouldn’t some symptoms of the disease have shown up by now? I mean, it has been almost 30 years since I was there. Is the incubation period longer than 30 years so I have to just keep an eye out? And what symptoms should I watch for? Forgetfulness? Drooling? Muscle weakness? Mooing? Forgetfulness? I realize that the only true way to confirm infection is from a biopsy or autopsy but I’d rather they keep their probes away from my grey matter.
I’d appreciate any info from our medical dopers.
By the way, if you want to read a fascinating book about prions and their role in CJD, BSE and scrapie, pick up Fatal Protein: The Story of CJD, BSE, and Other Prion Diseases. It might make a vegetarian out of you. It didn’t stop me but it might work for you. Hell, I read the book while eating steak!
vCJD development appears to be (to a large extent) mediated by a SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) in the PRNP gene on codon-129. All vCJD sufferers up till 2009 were MM genotypes, and disease developed over 10-15 years. Research into Kuru (another prion disease transmitted by ritual cannibalism) suggests that some genotypes (MV, VV) produced an incubation period of over 50 years.
Clarifying this question would allow authorities to plan for a second wave of vCJD cases (up to maybe 1000 additional cases from the first infection wave, based on first wave numbers and some population genetic modelling of the MM, MV and VV genotypes). Some (maybe only 1) MV genotype cases of vCJD have been diagnosed, and data from an anonymous tonsil survey has suggested that all genotypes may be susceptible to eventual disease development, but this is not clear.
Suffice to say, the OP certainly did not develop vCJD in the first wave. He has another 20 years to go to be sure he will not develop the disease as part of a possible second wave. But given the stats (~200 cases in the UK for 25-30% of the population with the MM genotype) I think it is pretty unlikely. And he may completely outlive any developing vCJD due to his genes. But the blood donation agencies still won’t take the risk.
By various accounts I read during that “first wave”, Mad Cow is a seriously gruesome disease to have. If you ever develop this disorder, you should seriously consider committing suicide as fast as you can, while you still can. In fact, it seemed like, by the time you would now you have vCJD, it’s already too late, as you are already badly incapacitated by then.
This is part of the problem. Prions can be detected in some tissues (notably tonsils - necessitating the use of disposable tonsillectomy surgical equipment). However, there is still no clear link between the detection of prions in tonsils, and the eventual development of vCJD - the prions may be present, but the MV and VV genotypes may develop extremely slowly or not at all. So the only valid diagnostic is MRI or autopsy showing the damage to the brain.
And I think Fatal Familial Insomnia is a much worse prion disease to develop. Going psychotic due to sleep deprivation well before other neurological degeneration occurs has to be disconcerting, but at least you get the chance to make your own choices about your future.
I read the Wiki article because I had never heard of it. It is scary because of how quickly it progresses. What scared the ever-living shit out of me was a throwaway line:
Jesus jumped up Christ on a unicycle! We are seriously fucked if this became common.
Repeating yourself is one of the earliest signs. :eek:
Really, after 30 years when there is no known exposure and only the most tenuous of links to a time when exposure was theoretically possible, you should not be worrying.