Suspected Human BSE Case Refuted
State officials say the woman died from CJD, not the disease linked to bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Compiled by staff
Published: Aug 21, 2007
Worries over a potential fourth U.S. death from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease turned out to be false today when Illinois state officials termed the death of a Logan County, Ill., woman as being caused by Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease, not the variant form linked to bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Chicago TV reports had indicated the woman died from the "human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)." Connie Albert was a 57-year-old woman who started having vision trouble and extremely high blood pressure about two months ago.
Logan County coroner Robert Thomas, also Albert's sister, said "tests came back 100%" that Albert had the disease, reports said. However, state officials refuted the claim that the woman had the variant form of the disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it is believed that persons who have developed vCJD became infected through their consumption of cattle products contaminated with the agent of BSE. There has never been a case of vCJD that did not have a history of exposure within a country where this cattle disease, BSE, was occurring. For more information about vCJD, visit the CDC fact page.
The local television station that reported the original incident has since revised the report.
Permalink: Click here
Tagged: BSE, bovine spongiform encephalopathy
|