brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD)
CJD acquired during a medical procedure
CJD can also be acquired during a medical procedure (called iatrogenic CJD). For example, it can be acquired when one of the following is done: A cornea or possibly other tissue from a donor with CJD is transplanted. Brain surgery is done with contaminated instruments previously used to operate on a person who had CJD. A substance derived from a person with CJD is used for treatment. Blood from a person with CJD is used in a blood transfusion. Routine cleansing and sterilization procedures do not destroy prions. However, bleach and other cleaning techniques that specifically target prions are effective. Iatrogenic CJD has been acquired when hormones derived from human pituitary glands were used for treatment. For example, the disease developed in some people who were treated with growth hormone derived from pituitary glands of cadavers that contained prions. These hormones are now genetically engineered rather than prepared from cadavers, so there is no longer a risk of CJD. Only three people acquired vCJD from transfusion of contaminated blood and developed symptoms. One other person received contaminated blood but did not develop symptoms. In all cases, the disease was acquired from donors affected by the variant form. The last case was reported in 2007. 