21 May 2004
More Brits may carry vCJD protein than previously thought

How far did "mad cow" really get? Are there folks infected who aren't showing symptoms? Or is this completely unrelated to BSE? Who knows?

A team of UK scientists found that 3 out of 12,674 stored appendix and tonsil samples showed evidence of the prion protein associated with vCJD, but urge caution about the way these results are interpreted. The research is published this week in The Journal of Pathology. The study aimed to help health policymakers estimate the numbers of people who could become ill from vCJD by assessing the possible numbers of people in the UK who might be incubating the disease. Based on the three positives and calculations in the highest risk group (those aged 10-30), the researchers estimate that about 3,800 individuals in the UK would test positive.

(link) [Science Blog]

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