Ahern moves to quell CJD fears
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern moved quickly to quell public fears today after the country’s first case of the fatal brain disease variant CJD was diagnosed in a Dublin hospital.
He said he was confident State controls on beef production were rigorous and met international standards.
“Ireland’s controls to eradicate BSE are deemed to be optimum and stable from 1998 onwards,” he said.
“We will continue to take all necessary precautions. Both the CJD advisory group and Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) have indicated there should not be public concern for the safety of Irish beef.”
The patient, believed to be in his early 20s, has never received a blood transfusion or made a blood donation.
Given that he has never undergone an operation it is understood doctors are investigating the possibility that he contracted the disease by eating infected beef.
Mr Ahern said the worrying issue was that, even though all precautions have been taken, the incubation period for the disease is not yet known.
“There is a possibility that the man became infected prior to the introduction of the more rigorous food safety controls,” he said.
A statement released by the hospital said: “The patient is seriously ill and is being provided with all of the appropriate care by the hospital.
“All of the necessary precautions are being taken and the relevant authorities have been updated.”
The Government was made aware of the potential case on October 21 when Health Minister Mary Harney was briefed by the chief medical officer Dr Jim Kiely and the chairman of the national vCJD advisory committee Professor William Hall.
Mr Ahern said he was assured that the measures in place to protect public health, particularly in relation to blood supply, reflect international best practice standards.
The hospital confirmed the conclusive test involved a tonsillar biopsy of the patient.
“In the interests of patient confidentiality, further information on the patient’s condition will not be issued and we ask that the privacy of the patient and family be respected during this difficult time,” the statement added.
There is no definitive blood test to diagnose vCJD, but the presence of prion in immune system tissue in the tonsils and the specific appearance of the brain on an MRI scan is understood to have put the diagnosis beyond doubt.
The national CJD advisory board will continue to monitor all developments nationally and internationally.
The Taoiseach said the Government’s thoughts and prayers were with the victim, his family and friends.
