NR AXYV
AU Will,R.
TI Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A Critical Review of Residual Uncertainty
QU International Conference - Prion 2007 (26.-28.9.2007) Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - Book of Abstracts: Invited Speakers S5.1
IA http://www.prion2007.com/pdf/Prion Book of Abstracts.pdf
PT Konferenz-Vortrag
AB
Ten years after the identification of vCJD, there a number of continuing scientific uncertainties that have implications for risk assessment and the formulation of public health policy. Critical unknowns include the prevalence of human infection with BSE or vCJD, the species-barrier between bovines and humans, the risk from cumulative low level exposures and whether or not there will be secondary transmission through routes other than blood transfusion. Evidence is available in relation to some of these issues but policy decisions often have to be formulated on the basis of uncertainty and mathematical modelling of risk has influenced a number of recommended measures to protect public health. Descriptive data on the evolution of vCJD outbreaks in the UK and other countries underpins risk analyses, but there remains uncertainty about the future numbers of cases and there is a possibility of sub-clinical infection, perhaps related to genetic determinants of disease expression.
Specific questions of relevance to public health include:
1. What is the incubation period of vCJD? 2. What is the population prevalence of infection with BSE/vCJD 3. Why is there a mismatch between current prevalence estimates and the observed number of vCJD cases? 4. Will there be further outbreaks of vCJD related to variation in PRNP genotype? 5. Will there be other routes of secondary transmission? 6. Will atypical animal TSEs have an impact on human health? These questions will be critically reviewed as background and introduction to the subsequent presentations in the 'Epidemiology, Risk Assessment and Transmission' session.
AD Robert Will, University of Edinburgh, UK
SP englisch
PO Schottland