February 11, 2014 UPDATE
Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Information on potential CJD exposure
Information on potential CJD exposure
Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center is sharing information about the
exposure of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or CJD, to 18 patients who had
neurosurgery at the hospital. According to the CDC, the risk of transmission
from surgery is remote and the last reported case of surgical transmission was
in 1976.
It is believed that CJD affects about one person in every one million
people per year worldwide. In the United States there are about 300 cases per
year. It is important to note that there are multiple variations of CJD and this
case is not related to mad cow disease.
Although the risk of getting the disease is very low, Novant Health
believes it is important to share this information with patients, family
members, and the community. Patients who underwent neurosurgery and were exposed
already have been contacted directly by Novant Health.
On January 18, 2014, a medical team at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center
performed a procedure on a patient with a neurological condition. Subsequently,
the medical center was notified that lab results confirmed that the patient had
CJD. Although the surgical instruments used during the patient’s surgery were
sterilized using standard procedures for cleaning surgical instruments, they
were not subjected to enhanced sterilization procedures necessary on instruments
used in confirmed or suspected cases of CJD.
The patient had neurological symptoms that could have been attributed to
CJD or another brain disease. Our standard procedure is to apply the enhanced
sterilization process to surgical instruments that are used on any patient who
is suspected or confirmed of having CJD in order to prevent possible
transmission. There were reasons to suspect that this patient might have had
CJD. As such, the extra precautions should have been taken, but were not.
Since then, Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center has identified 18 patients
who were exposed to the disease during brain surgery. We believed it was our
duty to inform those patients who were exposed during surgery.
"The risk to these individuals is remote," said Jim Lederer, MD, Novant
Health VP clinical improvement. "However, we cannot say there is no risk and
therefore it is our obligation to notify patients and provide them with
information and support. Our first concern is for our patients who are
recovering from surgery and may now need additional support.”
Following the CJD confirmation, Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center
instituted the enhanced sterilization process on all surgical instruments used
in brain surgery. In addition, the hospital is following CDC recommendations and
guidelines and working with state and local health officials to ensure the
facility is taking necessary precautions to prevent this in the future.
Questions about CJD and this incident may be directed to our toll-free
number 877-463-4052.
News media inquiries, please call 336-287-4203.
AS bad as this is, I applaud your efforts to contact the exposed, and help prevent further exposure. I only hope that you really consider disposable instruments for future use, when at all possible. I also hope that you offer free follow-up and trace forward for any further medical and dental procedures for these exposed, for the next 50 YEARS.
I am a layperson, I lost my mother to the Heidenhain Variant of Creutzfeldt
Jakob Disease hvCJD December 14, 1997, and just made a promise, never forget,
and never let them forget.
here is the latest TSE prion science, please use as you wish.
good luck with this incident. ...
with sad regards, I am sincerely,
Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD, and other TSE prion disease, these TSE prions
know no borders.
these TSE prions know no age restrictions.
The TSE prion disease survives ashing to 600 degrees celsius, that’s around
1112 degrees farenheit.
you cannot cook the TSE prion disease out of meat.
you can take the ash and mix it with saline and inject that ash into a
mouse, and the mouse will go down with TSE.
Prion Infected Meat-and-Bone Meal Is Still Infectious after Biodiesel
Production as well.
the TSE prion agent also survives Simulated Wastewater Treatment Processes.
IN fact, you should also know that the TSE Prion agent will survive in the
environment for years, if not decades.
you can bury it and it will not go away.
The TSE agent is capable of infected your water table i.e. Detection of
protease-resistant cervid prion protein in water from a CWD-endemic area.
it’s not your ordinary pathogen you can just cook it out and be done with.
that’s what’s so worrisome about Iatrogenic mode of transmission, a simple
autoclave will not kill this TSE prion agent.
New studies on the heat resistance of hamster-adapted scrapie agent:
Threshold survival after ashing at 600°C suggests an inorganic template of
replication
The infectious agents responsible for transmissible spongiform
encephalopathy (TSE) are notoriously resistant to most physical and chemical
methods used for inactivating pathogens, including heat. It has long been
recognized, for example, that boiling is ineffective and that higher
temperatures are most efficient when combined with steam under pressure (i.e.,
autoclaving). As a means of decontamination, dry heat is used only at the
extremely high temperatures achieved during incineration, usually in excess of
600°C. It has been assumed, without proof, that incineration totally inactivates
the agents of TSE, whether of human or animal origin.
Histochemical analysis of hamster brains inoculated with the solid residue
showed typical spongiform degeneration and vacuolation. Re-inoculation of these
brains into a new cohort of hamsters led to onset of clinical scrapie symptoms
within 75 days, suggesting that the specific infectivity of the prion protein
was not changed during the biodiesel process. The biodiesel reaction cannot be
considered a viable prion decontamination method for MBM, although we observed
increased survival time of hamsters and reduced infectivity greater than 6 log
orders in the solid MBM residue. Furthermore, results from our study compare for
the first time prion detection by Western Blot versus an infectivity bioassay
for analysis of biodiesel reaction products. We could show that biochemical
analysis alone is insufficient for detection of prion infectivity after a
biodiesel process.
Detection of protease-resistant cervid prion protein in water from a
CWD-endemic area
The data presented here demonstrate that sPMCA can detect low levels of
PrPCWD in the environment, corroborate previous biological and experimental data
suggesting long term persistence of prions in the environment2,3 and imply that
PrPCWD accumulation over time may contribute to transmission of CWD in areas
where it has been endemic for decades. This work demonstrates the utility of
sPMCA to evaluate other environmental water sources for PrPCWD, including
smaller bodies of water such as vernal pools and wallows, where large numbers of
cervids congregate and into which prions from infected animals may be shed and
concentrated to infectious levels.
A Quantitative Assessment of the Amount of Prion Diverted to Category 1 Materials and Wastewater During Processing
Keywords:Abattoir;bovine spongiform encephalopathy;QRA;scrapie;TSE
In this article the development and parameterization of a quantitative assessment is described that estimates the amount of TSE infectivity that is present in a whole animal carcass (bovine spongiform encephalopathy [BSE] for cattle and classical/atypical scrapie for sheep and lambs) and the amounts that subsequently fall to the floor during processing at facilities that handle specified risk material (SRM). BSE in cattle was found to contain the most oral doses, with a mean of 9864 BO ID50s (310, 38840) in a whole carcass compared to a mean of 1851 OO ID50s (600, 4070) and 614 OO ID50s (155, 1509) for a sheep infected with classical and atypical scrapie, respectively. Lambs contained the least infectivity with a mean of 251 OO ID50s (83, 548) for classical scrapie and 1 OO ID50s (0.2, 2) for atypical scrapie. The highest amounts of infectivity falling to the floor and entering the drains from slaughtering a whole carcass at SRM facilities were found to be from cattle infected with BSE at rendering and large incineration facilities with 7.4 BO ID50s (0.1, 29), intermediate plants and small incinerators with a mean of 4.5 BO ID50s (0.1, 18), and collection centers, 3.6 BO ID50s (0.1, 14). The lowest amounts entering drains are from lambs infected with classical and atypical scrapie at intermediate plants and atypical scrapie at collection centers with a mean of 3 × 10−7 OO ID50s (2 × 10−8, 1 × 10−6) per carcass. The results of this model provide key inputs for the model in the companion paper published here.
Survival and Limited Spread of TSE Infectivity after Burial
Karen Fernie, Allister Smith and Robert A. Somerville The Roslin Institute
and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Roslin, Scotland UK
Scrapie and chronic wasting disease probably spread via environmental
routes, and there are also concerns about BSE infection remaining in the
environment after carcass burial or waste 3disposal. In two demonstration
experiments we are determining survival and migration of TSE infectivity when
buried for up to five years, as an uncontained point source or within bovine
heads. Firstly boluses of TSE infected mouse brain were buried in lysimeters
containing either sandy or clay soil. Migration from the boluses is being
assessed from soil cores taken over time. With the exception of a very small
amount of infectivity found 25 cm from the bolus in sandy soil after 12 months,
no other infectivity has been detected up to three years. Secondly, ten bovine
heads were spiked with TSE infected mouse brain and buried in the two soil
types. Pairs of heads have been exhumed annually and assessed for infectivity
within and around them. After one year and after two years, infectivity was
detected in most intracranial samples and in some of the soil samples taken from
immediately surrounding the heads. The infectivity assays for the samples in and
around the heads exhumed at years three and four are underway. These data show
that TSE infectivity can survive burial for long periods but migrates slowly.
Risk assessments should take into account the likely long survival rate when
infected material has been buried.
The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from DEFRA.
PPo3-22:
Detection of Environmentally Associated PrPSc on a Farm with Endemic
Scrapie
Ben C. Maddison,1 Claire A. Baker,1 Helen C. Rees,1 Linda A. Terry,2 Leigh
Thorne,2 Susan J. Belworthy2 and Kevin C. Gough3 1ADAS-UK LTD; Department of
Biology; University of Leicester; Leicester, UK; 2Veterinary Laboratories
Agency; Surry, KT UK; 3Department of Veterinary Medicine and Science; University
of Nottingham; Sutton Bonington, Loughborough UK
Key words: scrapie, evironmental persistence, sPMCA
Ovine scrapie shows considerable horizontal transmission, yet the routes of
transmission and specifically the role of fomites in transmission remain poorly
defined. Here we present biochemical data demonstrating that on a
scrapie-affected sheep farm, scrapie prion contamination is widespread. It was
anticipated at the outset that if prions contaminate the environment that they
would be there at extremely low levels, as such the most sensitive method
available for the detection of PrPSc, serial Protein Misfolding Cyclic
Amplification (sPMCA), was used in this study. We investigated the distribution
of environmental scrapie prions by applying ovine sPMCA to samples taken from a
range of surfaces that were accessible to animals and could be collected by use
of a wetted foam swab. Prion was amplified by sPMCA from a number of these
environmental swab samples including those taken from metal, plastic and wooden
surfaces, both in the indoor and outdoor environment. At the time of sampling
there had been no sheep contact with these areas for at least 20 days prior to
sampling indicating that prions persist for at least this duration in the
environment. These data implicate inanimate objects as environmental reservoirs
of prion infectivity which are likely to contribute to disease transmission.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Rapid assessment of bovine spongiform encephalopathy prion inactivation by
heat treatment in yellow grease produced in the industrial manufacturing process
of meat and bone meals
BMC Veterinary Research 2013, 9:134 doi:10.1186/1746-6148-9-134
now that I have your attention, please read on for the rest of this man
made nightmare. ...tss
Thursday, February 06, 2014
Commons Science and Technology Committee announce new inquiry on blood,
tissue and organ screening Parliament exposure vcjd and blood risk while still
ignoring recent risks factors of sporadic CJD
*** INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF CJD, VCJD AND OTHER HUMAN PRION
DISEASES IN HEALTHCARE AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS Variably Protease-Sensitive
Prionopathy (VPSPr) January 15, 2014
NHS failed to sterilise surgical instruments contaminated with 'mad cow'
disease
Friday, January 10, 2014
vpspr, sgss, sffi, TSE, an iatrogenic by-product of gss, ffi, familial type
prion disease, what it ???
Medical Devices Containing Materials Derived from Animal Sources (Except
for In Vitro Diagnostic Devices) [Docket No. FDA–2013–D–1574]
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Management of neurosurgical instruments and patients exposed to
creutzfeldt-jakob disease 2013 December
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Prion diseases in humans: Oral and dental implications
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Recommendation of the Swiss Expert Committee for Biosafety on the
classification of activities using prion genes and prion protein January 2013
Thursday, January 16, 2014
The Anspach Effort, Inc. RECALL FDA Blackmax motor had been used in a case
where the patient was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (CJD) MARYLAND
HOSTPITAL
WHAT about the sporadic CJD TSE proteins ?
WE now know that some cases of sporadic CJD are linked to atypical BSE and
atypical Scrapie, so why are not MORE concerned about the sporadic CJD, and all
it’s sub-types $$$
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease CJD cases rising North America updated report
August 2013
*** Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease CJD cases rising North America with Canada
seeing an extreme increase of 48% between 2008 and 2010 ***
Sunday, October 13, 2013
*** CJD TSE Prion Disease Cases in Texas by Year, 2003-2012
Sunday, January 19, 2014
National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center Cases Examined1 as of
January 8, 2014
TSE guidance, surgical, dental, blood risk factors, Part 4 Infection
control of CJD, vCJD and other human prion diseases in healthcare and community
settings (updated January 2013)
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
NORDION (US), INC., AND BIOAXONE BIOSCIENCES, INC., Settles $90M Mad Cow
TSE prion Contamination Suit Cethrin(R)
Case 0:12-cv-60739-RNS Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 04/26/2012 Page 1
of 15
Thursday, September 05, 2013
Possible Patient Exposure to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Announced New
Hampshire DHHS
Press Release
Friday, July 19, 2013
Beaumont Hospital in Dublin assessing patients for CJD
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
11 patients may have been exposed to fatal disease Creutzfeldt-Jakob
Disease CJD Greenville Memorial Hospital
Thursday, August 02, 2012
CJD case in Saint John prompts letter to patients Canada CJD case in Saint
John prompts letter to patients
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Another Pathologists dies from CJD, another potential occupational death ?
another happenstance of bad luck, a spontaneous event from nothing, or
friendly fire ???
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Research articles
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
IN CONFIDENCE SCRAPIE TRANSMISSION TO CHIMPANZEES IN CONFIDENCE
Sunday, December 12, 2010
EFSA reviews BSE/TSE infectivity in small ruminant tissues News Story 2
December 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
SCRAPIE AND ATYPICAL SCRAPIE TRANSMISSION STUDIES A REVIEW 2010
Sunday, February 2, 2014
The Presence of Disease-Associated Prion Protein in Skeletal Muscle of
Cattle Infected with Classical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
NOTE Pathology
Monday, February 10, 2014
Enhanced Virulence of Sheep-Passaged Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Agent
Is Revealed by Decreased Polymorphism Barriers in Prion Protein Conversion
Studies
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Seven main threats for the future linked to prions
First threat
The TSE road map defining the evolution of European policy for protection
against prion diseases is based on a certain numbers of hypotheses some of which
may turn out to be erroneous. In particular, a form of BSE (called atypical
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy), recently identified by systematic testing in
aged cattle without clinical signs, may be the origin of classical BSE and thus
potentially constitute a reservoir, which may be impossible to eradicate if a
sporadic origin is confirmed.
***Also, a link is suspected between atypical BSE and some apparently
sporadic cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. These atypical BSE cases
constitute an unforeseen first threat that could sharply modify the European
approach to prion diseases.
Second threat
snip...
This is an interesting editorial about the Mad Cow Disease debacle, and
it's ramifications that will continue to play out for decades to come ;
Monday, October 10, 2011
EFSA Journal 2011 The European Response to BSE: A Success Story
snip...
EFSA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
recently delivered a scientific opinion on any possible epidemiological or
molecular association between TSEs in animals and humans (EFSA Panel on
Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) and ECDC, 2011). This opinion confirmed Classical
BSE prions as the only TSE agents demonstrated to be zoonotic so far __but__ the
possibility that a small proportion of human cases so far classified as
"sporadic" CJD are of zoonotic origin could not be excluded. Moreover,
transmission experiments to non-human primates suggest that some TSE agents in
addition to Classical BSE prions in cattle (namely L-type Atypical BSE,
Classical BSE in sheep, transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) and chronic
wasting disease (CWD) agents) might have zoonotic potential.
snip...
see follow-up here about North America BSE Mad Cow TSE prion risk factors,
and the ever emerging strains of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy in many
species here in the USA, including humans ;
I remember a case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: implications for
gastroenterology & CJD 38 years after _diagnostic_ use of hGH (Iatrogenic
CJDs & sporadic CJDs) (see below);
We describe the second patient with hGH related CJD in the Netherlands. The
patient developed the disease 38 years after hGH injections. To our knowledge,
this is the longest incubation period described for any form of iatrogentic CJD.
Furthermore, our patient was _not_ treated with hGH, but only received a _low_
dose as part of a diagnostic procedure. (see full text below).
Published March 26, 2003
RE-Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
in the United States
Terry S. Singeltary, retired (medically)
I lost my mother to hvCJD (Heidenhain Variant CJD). I would like to comment
on the CDC's attempts to monitor the occurrence of emerging forms of CJD.
Asante, Collinge et al [1] have reported that BSE transmission to the
129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is
indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc, the commonest sporadic CJD. However, CJD
and all human TSEs are not reportable nationally. CJD and all human TSEs must be
made reportable in every state and internationally. I hope that the CDC does not
continue to expect us to still believe that the 85%+ of all CJD cases which are
sporadic are all spontaneous, without route/source. We have many TSEs in the USA
in both animal and man. CWD in deer/elk is spreading rapidly and CWD does
transmit to mink, ferret, cattle, and squirrel monkey by intracerebral
inoculation. With the known incubation periods in other TSEs, oral transmission
studies of CWD may take much longer. Every victim/family of CJD/TSEs should be
asked about route and source of this agent. To prolong this will only spread the
agent and needlessly expose others. In light of the findings of Asante and
Collinge et al, there should be drastic measures to safeguard the medical and
surgical arena from sporadic CJDs and all human TSEs. I only ponder how many
sporadic CJDs in the USA are type 2 PrPSc?
Published March 26, 2003
Letters
JAMA. 2001;285(6):733-734. doi: 10.1001/jama.285.6.733
Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Terry S. Singeltary, Sr Bacliff, Tex
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first
150 words of the full text.
KEYWORDS: creutzfeldt-jakob disease, diagnosis. To the Editor: In their
Research Letter, Dr Gibbons and colleagues1 reported that the annual US death
rate due to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has been stable since 1985. These
estimates, however, are based only on reported cases, and do not include
misdiagnosed or preclinical cases. It seems to me that misdiagnosis alone would
drastically change these figures. An unknown number of persons with a diagnosis
of Alzheimer disease in fact may have CJD, although only a small number of these
patients receive the postmortem examination necessary to make this diagnosis.
Furthermore, only a few states have made CJD reportable. Human and animal
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies should be reportable nationwide and
internationally.
References 1. Gibbons RV, Holman RC, Belay ED, Schonberger LB.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States: 1979-1998. JAMA.
2000;284:2322-2323.
14th ICID International Scientific Exchange Brochure -
Final Abstract Number: ISE.114
Session: International Scientific Exchange
Transmissible Spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) animal and human TSE in North
America update October 2009
T. Singeltary
Bacliff, TX, USA
Background:
An update on atypical BSE and other TSE in North America. Please remember,
the typical U.K. c-BSE, the atypical l-BSE (BASE), and h-BSE have all been
documented in North America, along with the typical scrapie's, and atypical
Nor-98 Scrapie, and to date, 2 different strains of CWD, and also TME. All these
TSE in different species have been rendered and fed to food producing animals
for humans and animals in North America (TSE in cats and dogs ?), and that the
trading of these TSEs via animals and products via the USA and Canada has been
immense over the years, decades.
Methods:
12 years independent research of available data
Results:
I propose that the current diagnostic criteria for human TSEs only enhances
and helps the spreading of human TSE from the continued belief of the UKBSEnvCJD
only theory in 2009. With all the science to date refuting it, to continue to
validate this old myth, will only spread this TSE agent through a multitude of
potential routes and sources i.e. consumption, medical i.e., surgical, blood,
dental, endoscopy, optical, nutritional supplements, cosmetics etc.
Conclusion:
I would like to submit a review of past CJD surveillance in the USA, and
the urgent need to make all human TSE in the USA a reportable disease, in every
state, of every age group, and to make this mandatory immediately without
further delay. The ramifications of not doing so will only allow this agent to
spread further in the medical, dental, surgical arena's. Restricting the
reporting of CJD and or any human TSE is NOT scientific. Iatrogenic CJD knows NO
age group, TSE knows no boundaries. I propose as with Aguzzi, Asante, Collinge,
Caughey, Deslys, Dormont, Gibbs, Gajdusek, Ironside, Manuelidis, Marsh, et al
and many more, that the world of TSE Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy is
far from an exact science, but there is enough proven science to date that this
myth should be put to rest once and for all, and that we move forward with a new
classification for human and animal TSE that would properly identify the
infected species, the source species, and then the route.
CJD Singeltary submission to PLOS ;
No competing interests declared.
see full text ;
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Alzheimer’s disease and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy prion
disease, Iatrogenic, what if ?
Background
Alzheimer’s disease and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy disease
have both been around a long time, and was discovered in or around the same time
frame, early 1900’s. Both diseases are incurable and debilitating brain disease,
that are in the end, 100% fatal, with the incubation/clinical period of the
Alzheimer’s disease being longer (most of the time) than the TSE prion disease.
Symptoms are very similar, and pathology is very similar.
Methods
Through years of research, as a layperson, of peer review journals,
transmission studies, and observations of loved ones and friends that have died
from both Alzheimer’s and the TSE prion disease i.e. Heidenhain Variant
Creutzfelt Jakob Disease CJD.
Results
I propose that Alzheimer’s is a TSE disease of low dose, slow, and long
incubation disease, and that Alzheimer’s is Transmissible, and is a threat to
the public via the many Iatrogenic routes and sources. It was said long ago that
the only thing that disputes this, is Alzheimer’s disease transmissibility, or
the lack of. The likelihood of many victims of Alzheimer’s disease from the many
different Iatrogenic routes and modes of transmission as with the TSE prion
disease.
Conclusions
There should be a Global Congressional Science round table event set up
immediately to address these concerns from the many potential routes and sources
of the TSE prion disease, including Alzheimer’s disease, and a emergency global
doctrine put into effect to help combat the spread of Alzheimer’s disease via
the medical, surgical, dental, tissue, and blood arena’s. All human and animal
TSE prion disease, including Alzheimer’s should be made reportable in every
state, and Internationally, WITH NO age restrictions. Until a proven method of
decontamination and autoclaving is proven, and put forth in use universally, in
all hospitals and medical, surgical arena’s, or the TSE prion agent will
continue to spread. IF we wait until science and corporate politicians wait
until politics lets science _prove_ this once and for all, and set forth
regulations there from, we will all be exposed to the TSE Prion agents, if that
has not happened already.
end...tss
SEE FULL TEXT AND SOURCE REFERENCES ;
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Alzheimer’s disease and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy prion
disease, Iatrogenic, what if ?
Proposal ID: 29403
Friday, January 31, 2014
Confidentiality in preclinical Alzheimer disease studies
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
*** Detection of Infectivity in Blood of Persons with Variant and Sporadic
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease ***
Monday, February 10, 2014
18 Forsyth Medical Center patients exposed to CJD; apology issued...OOOPS,
SORRY, TOO BAD $$$
layperson
Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
P.O. Box 42
Bacliff, Texas USA 77518
never break a promise to your mom...tss