Comments on: Mad Cow Disease and Variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease

By: MollyMac

MollyMac — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:42:52 +0000

Because of the Federal HIPA regs., I won’t say where this happened – only in N.E. A woman was brought into our surgical unit with a rictus grimace and shortly afterwards followed the CDC with their black suits and briefcases. Our staff was stunned at the diagnosis and her family was interviewed for days. Assigned to a Hospice room (large & private)it overflowed with family and the interrogaters;they went back years with them family over meats she ate/where she shopped/etc. She died, and then not another word was spoken of it either on the news, in the paper or even on our floor. It IS being downplayed.

By: James Derwin

James Derwin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:36:19 +0000

Milk question. India found prions in cows milk! However, they couldnt determine if it was infectous or not. I dont eat hamburger, but I do eat well done steak, usually organic.

By: LIzzy

LIzzy — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:26:02 +0000

Anyone interested should read “Deadly Feast,” a book by Richard Rhodes.

By: Gwen

Gwen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:54:12 +0000

CJD is also known to be present in wild game populations such as venison and elk. So avoiding beef is not enough. Also, though obviously much rarer, people are thought to have caught it in rural areas from eating squirrel brains.

I understand that it can be diagnosed from tonsil tissue; in the UK they are collecting tonsils from children having tonsillectomies…and finding high rates of infection. I agree that the media are avoiding/downplaying the topic.

By: unc s

unc s — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 05:43:41 +0000

What about passing it through milk?

By: Maureen Holder

Maureen Holder — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:40:19 +0000

I am a Registered Nurse. While working in Ft.Lauderdale, Fl 1994, we admitted a man 40 years old,a professor, healthy except for the fact that he was having some problems with his short term memory. I asked if he had been out of the country, to which he answered yes, South America and also England ! Of course we thought he picked up something in S.A. He degenerated quickly, and in 6 weeks he was dead, not knowing who he was, where he was nor did he recognize anyone. He had CJD which sent us all to our Nursing Books as we were not familiar with the disease at that time. It is very freightning to observe. MKH

By: Ellissee

Ellissee — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:11:03 +0000

40 years to incubate? So, if one traveled to England in 80’s and ate beef – would not know yet. Great. Mad Cow has been found in U.S. and it’s kept quiet, saying only 1 cow among all others, a few times, and they ‘found the source’ and we’re safe – how many really believe this.

By: sarah

sarah — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:46:49 +0000

In 1992, my father (a native New Jersey boy who spent his adult life in Texas and California) died of CJD. No one in my family is allowed to donate blood due to our relationship to him, and my mother has since learned of hundreds of CJD fatalities in America through internet networking. The fact that most people still believe that there have been no American CJD fatalities, leads me to believe that the beef industry is a very strong lobby group. As for me, I still eat meat due to the fact that if it’s already dormant in my system due to a burger I might have shared with my Dad at some point in my childhood, there is nothing that is going to hurt or help the process now. Has there been secret-keeping about the issue?…..I definitely think so. A panicked public is something the government always seeks to avoid.

By: KAOS

KAOS — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:57:09 +0000

There are a number of reasons that we do not have BSE problem in the US. I beleive the major reason is we do not have a closed system like the UK (an island). The meat and bone meal and other rendered products, if became contaminated would be diluted in the US, and not circulate in increasing levels as likely happened in the UK. In addition, the US government has put a number of safeguards into cattle feeding systems, including prohibiting the feeding of mammalian protein (meat and bone meal, etc). New variant CJD is histopathologically distinct from genetically linked CJD, although it is correct to state that it often occurs in younger patients.

The fact that the Red Cross will not accept blood from those living in the Europe for an extended period is an incredibly cautious tactic. But one that the blood recipients likely appreciate.

By: cheri

cheri — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:30:08 +0000

That is not true. My uncle died from CJD about 20 years ago in Bowling Green Ky. I’m sure he was not the only one.