title: The public health impact of prion diseases.
abstract: Several prion disease-related human health risks from an exogenous source can be identified in the United States, including the iatrogenic transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), the possible occurrence of variant CJD (vCJD), and potential zoonotic transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD). Although cross-species transmission of prion diseases seems to be limited by an apparent "species barrier," the occurrence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and its transmission to humans indicate that animal prion diseases can pose a significant public health risk. Recent reports of secondary person-to-person spread of vCJD via blood products and detection of vCJD transmission in a patient heterozygous at codon 129 further illustrate the potential public health impacts of BSE.
authors.affiliation: Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. EBelay@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Ermias D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Belay
authors.forename: Lawrence B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Schonberger
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D017281:Cost of Illness; D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004340:Drug Contamination; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000637:transplantation; D016643:Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / Q000453:epidemiology; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005513:Food Inspection; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D008461:Meat Products / Q000009:adverse effects; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D034081:Wasting Disease, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone