Major study of vCJD commissioned by Blood Bank

A MAJOR study to reveal the rate of variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (vCJD) infection through consumption of BSE-infected meat has been commissioned by the Blood Bank.

“The survey is an attempt to establish how much infectious material has been eaten by Irish people in Ireland,” said Dr William Murphy, national director of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS).

He said the survey, to be carried out by a British firm of consultants, Detnorskeveritas (DNV), would concentrate on tracking the movement of BSE-infected animals within the food chain.