ECDC - Technical Report on the Prevention of Creutzfeldt–Jakob (vCJD) published

In June the ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) published a technical report on the prevention of Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) disease transmission in medical settings in EU Member States and Norway.

Since its identification in 1996 in the UK, outbreaks of the neurological disease classified as a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) occurred in several Member States. Both the European Union and individual countries have implemented special public health measures and strengthened research efforts in the field of human and animal TSEs.

The report provides a review of national documents aimed at controlling the transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease transmission in medical settings. By thoroughly analysing the epidemiological situation and recent research, it represents a useful tool for Member States in order to identify their specific needs.

For further details please see the ECDC Technical Report.

Furthermore, additional epidemiological data about vCJD can be found in the "Annual epidemiological report on communicable diseases in Europe - 2010". It includes an Introduction; Epidemiology of communicable diseases in Europe, 2008, and the Annex List of communicable diseases for EU surveillance.

Author
Axel H. Schroeder
CONCEPT HEIDELBERG (a service provider entrusted by the ECA Foundation)