Re: [ozmidwifery] story help

[Marilyn Kleidon]

Just curious about the Creutzfeld Jacob Disease transmission - wouldn't the mother actually already be contaminated with the infectious agents (prions aren't they?) and be the most recent source of these agents (having eaten or been exposed to them sometime in her life)? Or is it postulated that the spontaneous form could arise in the placenta after birth? Very curious... I wouldn't think the placenta could transmit anything to the mother that she hasn't already been exposed to. Perhaps eating of the placenta should/could be limited to the mother.  ummm.... marilyn ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 11:35 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] story help In a message dated 8/16/02 2:12:34 PM W. Australia Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Please excuse my ignorance but what is CJD? Creutzfeld Jacob disease - a human spongiform encephalopathy (sp?).  i.e. "mad human disease" - human form of BSE.  There is a spontaneous form and what's called "new variant CJD - nvCJD", which happens in younger people, and is postulated is a result of people eating BSE infected meat. As a pom who was around at the height of the BSE crisis, I am, according to some people (including the Australian Red Cross who don't want my blood), a walking time bomb potentially carrying the disease.  It is a horrible way to go - having seen some TV footage of how it can effect people. Debbie Slater Perth, WA