spongiform encephalopathy in young humans

[Vasconcelos Costa 385]

> From: VANCAMPE at UWYO.EDU
> To: "bionet.virology mail newsgroup" <bionet-news at dl.ac.uk>
> Subject: spongiform encephalopathy in young humans
> 
> Dear Anyone:  I've heard a rumor through the grapevine that 3 cases of
> spongiform encephalopathy have been diagnosed in young (teenage) humans in the
> U.K.  There is some mention of possible links to the ingestion of unpasteurized
> milk and bovine brains by two of these patients.  The report is supposed to be
> in Lancet.  Anyone have a reference or can confirm?  Thank you in advance, Hana
> 
I didn't read that issue of Lancet but a good Portuguese newspaper publishes
today a report on that subject. Apparently, Collinge et al., from St. Mary's
Hospital in London, could not relate these cases with any risk factor: no
brain surgery, electrode implantation, tissue transplantation, etc (I would
add canibalism!...). No relation also with BSE. One of the young persons had
eaten *once* calf brain in Cyprus but there is no evidence for BSE in that
country.
I'll look as soon as possible at the Lancet paper.

Joao

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