How safe is donated blood? Inquiry is launched amid fears of infection from human form of mad cow disease
- The Commons Science and Technology Committee has called for an inquiry after studies showed one in 2,000 Britons could carry vCJD
- Strict measures to prevent infection are already in place - high risk people are not allowed to donate and disposable instruments are used
- The committee fears more needs to be done to prevent infection, such as the proper cleaning of medical instruments
People could become infected with vCJD – the human form of ‘mad cow disease’ – from blood transfusions, experts are warning.
An independent inquiry will be carried out into the safety of blood donations following fears of infection from vCJD, it has been reported.
Studies have revealed that one in every 2,000 Britons could be carrying variant CJD and this has prompted the Commons Science and Technology Committee to call for action, the BBC said.
People could become infected with vCJD - the human form of 'mad cow disease' - from blood transfusions, experts are warning
While blood tests cannot detect vCJD, strict measures are in place to prevent the risk of infection via blood.
NHS Blood and Transplant does not allow donations from high-risk individuals - such as people who have had a blood transfusion - donor blood is stripped of white blood cells, and disposable instruments are used when possible in retrieving donor tissues.
But some experts believe more could be done.
Committee chairman Andrew Miller MP told the BBC: ‘Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease is a terrible condition and we were extremely concerned to hear evidence that this incurable disease still poses a significant risk to public health.
One in every 2,000 Britons could be carrying variant CJD - the disease is most likely to be caused by consuming beef that has been infected with 'mad cow disease'
‘Although the risk of developing the disease as a result of eating contaminated beef was long ago eliminated, it is possible that the infection could still be unwittingly spread through medical procedures.
‘We were told that this may happen through failure to properly clean medical instruments, or, even more worryingly, through widespread contamination of the blood and organ supply.’
NHS Blood and Transplant says the UK has one of the safest blood supplies in the world.
A spokeswoman said: ‘We are constantly looking to increase scientific understanding of risks of disease transmission through blood, organ and tissue donation.
‘We will submit evidence to this inquiry.’
CJD is a rare and fatal disease that affects the brain causing brain damage that becomes worse over time.
Symptoms include loss of intellect, changes in personality, loss of balance, slurred speech, blindness and loss of mobility.
Most people with the disease die within a year of the symptoms starting.
Patients usually die from an infection because they become immobile meaning they are more vulnerable to infection.
CJD is thought to be caused by an abnormal protein called a prion - these prions accumulate in the brain and cause irreversible damage to the nerve cells.