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. 1997 Apr-Jun;3(2):155–163. doi: 10.3201/eid0302.970208

Is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease transmitted in blood?

M N Ricketts 1, N R Cashman 1, E E Stratton 1, S ElSaadany 1
PMCID: PMC2627622  PMID: 9204296

Abstract

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has been considered infectious since the mid-1960s, but its transmissibility through the transfusion of blood or blood products is controversial. The causative agent's novel undefined nature and resistance to standard decontamination, the absence of a screening test, and the recognition that even rare cases of transmission may be unacceptable have led to the revision of policies and procedures worldwide affecting all facets of blood product manufacturing from blood collection to transfusion. We reviewed current evidence that CJD is transmitted through blood.

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Selected References

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