spongiform encephalopathy in young humans

[Jorg Kirberg]

In article <47h4pd$cbe at news.csus.edu>, mattw at sfsu.edu (MATTHEW FRANCIS
WETTLAUFER) wrote:

> VANCAMPE at UWYO.EDU wrote:
> : 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 haven't read any articles about it but it would make sense if you
                                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ???* 
> consider the outbreak of "mad cow disease" in the U.K. during the 
> mid-1980's when up to 130,000 head of cattle had to be destroyed because 
> they had become infected with prions from sheep mulch.
> Spongiform encephalopathies have very long incubation periods, 5 to 8 
> years, so there was and still is speculation over whether a species leap 
> could take place between cows and humans (as it did between sheep and cows).
> Don't know if any of this info. helps.
> Matt Wettlaufer

* how can it make sense if man never got it from sheep before ? I would
think that one still has to wait for more cases before a link between BSE
and humans eating whatever from the U.K. cattles can be made.
jorg

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Joerg Kirberg                     EMAIL: kirberg at bii.ch
Basel Institute for Immunology    FAX:   41-61-605 13 72
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