k wrote:
] ] A "significant number" of people in the UK may
] ] be harbouring vCJD with no clinical symptoms, reveals the
] ] study of a new case. The work suggests the epidemic of
] ] the human form of mad cow disease may be far from over.
]
] [ Oh man fuck that. So, you can have vCJD without symptom,
] apparently pass it on via blood transfusion, and even having a
] good copy of the gene doesn't protect you forever. This prion
] is some serious bullshit. -k]

I recommend the book "Deadly Feasts" by Richard Rhodes. I think that nobody can truely predict what is going to happen with vCJD, because scientists don't have enough information about prions. What they do know is quite unique. Prions are tough proteins - surgical instruments used on patients with vCJD have to be autoclaved for alot longer in order to get rid of the protein. There have been a few cases where people with vCJD had surgery, the instruments were sterilized, and the next person operated on contracted the disease from the instruments. Its frightning what we know, and what we don't know, about these proteins. However, the origin of this problem makes for a really interesting read, and that is what "Deadly Feasts" is about. I liked it all the way up to the end, where it got a bit too alarmist for my taste - but it is well written and interesting for those who want to get a better grasp on prions, mad cow disease, and vCJD.