'CJD patient' donated blood
A man being treated for a probable case of variant CJD in a Dublin hospital was previously a blood donor, it has emerged.
The Irish Blood Transfusion Service said a patient, whose case is awaiting confirmation by the hospital, had previously donated blood to two recipients.
One recipient has already died from an unrelated condition while the other has recently been informed of the situation.
“Every possible safeguard and preventative measure has been taken by the relevant agencies,” a health department spokesperson said tonight.
The department warned the media to respect the privacy of the vCJD patient and his family.
The suspected case is still awaiting confirmation from the hospital where the patient is being treated.
vCJD, the human form of Mad Cow Disease, is a fatal degenerative brain disease.
