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Written question asked by Martyn Jones (Labour) on Thursday, 7 December 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 21 December 2000. It was answered by Yvette Cooper (Labour) on Thursday, 21 December 2000 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the publication Diagnosis and Incidence of Prion (Creutzfeldt-Jakob) Disease: A Retrospective Archival Survey with Implications for Future Research, published in Neurodegeneration, Vol 4, pp 357-368 (1995).
Answer

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the publication "Diagnosis and Incidence of Prion (Creutzfeldt-Jakob) Disease: A Retrospective Archival Survey with Implications for Future Research", published in Neurodegeneration, Vol 4, pp 357-368 (1995). [142267] Yvette Cooper: This article, published in 1995, concluded that human prion disease might be more common than previously supposed, and that a further review of the epidemiology of the disease was required. Since then a number of research projects have been put in place to ascertain the extent to which cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) or variant CJD (vCJD) might have been missed. These include: A comprehensive examination of the Corsellis brain collection to identify any possible unidentified cases of prion disease (Dr. S. M. Gentleman, London); Neuropathological spectrum of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies: relationship with atypical dementias: a national retrospective review (national study in various centres, co-ordinated by Professor J. W. Ironside, Edinburgh); Development of model for neuropathological surveillance of the elderly population (Professor J. Lowe, Nottingham); Multisource surveillance for all cases of Progressive Intellectual and Neuropathological Deterioration (PIND) occurring in children in the UK (Dr. C. Verity, Cambridge; Survey of Oxford autopsy brain tissue for evidence of CJD; Possible underascertainment of vCJD: a systematic retrospective study. Results from these studies to date have not revealed significant missed diagnosis of CJD or vCJD. The Department, however, takes very seriously the need to ensure that no cases are missed and to that end is working closely with the National CJD Surveillance Unit and others to encourage continued vigilance in the health care sector.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
360 c274-5W; 142267
Session
2000-01
Subjects
Diseases Research CJD
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk