H5N1

Canada: A little more on the Creutzfeld-Jakob cases in BC

Via CBC News: 1 dead, 3 ill in possible Creutzfeldt-Jakob cases in B.C. Excerpt:

One person has died and three others are in hospital with possible cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease east of Vancouver, the Fraser Health authority has confirmed. 

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is the human variant of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, commonly called mad cow disease. 

But officials say they don't believe these suspected cases are associated with eating beef, and say there is no risk associated with eating beef from the region. 

B.C.'s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall said the cases were diagnosed by neurologists on Friday, but none have been confirmed because complete diagnosis can only be made on death. 

"Every indication is that if it is Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease it would be the classic sporadic kind for which there is really no cause known," said Kendall He said B.C. gets between five and six cases reported a year, but what makes this situation unusual is to have so many cases reported at once.  

Kendall said a beef-related outbreak in the U.K. between 1980 and 1996 caused about 250 cases of the human variant, but said he does not think it is related to beef in the B.C. cases. 

"I would not worry about this being the beef-associated variant." 

Only two such cases have been reported in Canada — one in 2003 and one in 2011. Both cases are believed to have been contracted in the UK.

Meanwhile, Fraser Health, where the cases have been dealt with, has posted a Q&A news release about the disease, with no details about the current cases.

Canada: A little more on Creutzfeldt-Jakob

Via CKNW.com: Possible mad cow cases in Fraser Valley. Excerpt:

BC's top physician is cautioning against panic after reports an illness commonly known as 'mad cow' disease may have been detected in the Fraser Valley. 

"Fraser Health Authority are looking into four possible cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob syndrome --one of whom is in a deceased patient and three of whom are in hospital." 

Doctor Perry Kendall says on average, Canada records 30 cases every year. 

"BC has the appropriate number of cases, one in a million people per year. These cases have not yet been confirmed. They're suspect." 

Kendall also says there's no chance these people became sick after eating tainted beef.

Canada: Four cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in BC

I just heard a news item on CBC radio, saying that Fraser Health, responsible for delivering healthcare services to the Fraser Valley east of Vancouver, is dealing with 4 cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob ("mad cow") disease. I immediately went to check Fraser Health - 2013 News Releases; it doesn't have anything on this story yet, but I expect it will.