Consultation on a new vCJD test for blood donors

The Health Protection Agency commissioned, on behalf of the Department of Health, a consultation to look at the social and ethical implications of a blood test for variant CJD. There is currently no blood test to detect vCJD infection in people who appear to be well. Such tests may soon be developed, and this consultation aimed to seek views about how these tests for vCJD could be used once they become available.

A vCJD test could be used to screen blood donors, allowing the blood services to prevent blood from people with positive tests from being given to patients. This is important as there have now been four probable cases of vCJD infection being transmitted through blood transfusions.

The consultation explored some questions and concerns about introducing a blood test, including:

Should a test for vCJD be introduced when it is not known whether people with positive test results would ever develop symptoms of vCJD, and if they would, how long this would take?
Should the UK blood services always tell donors if their vCJD tests are positive? And how should donors' GPs be involved?
If donors knew that they would be tested for vCJD, and that they would be told if they tested positive for vCJD, would they be put off giving blood?

Final report: Published 28th March 2007

Download (PDF): Opinion former attitudes towards the possible introduction of a vCJD test for blood donations. February 2007 (PDF, 772 KB)

This consultation was the first recommendation arising from a small seminar of experts convened by the HPA in 2005 to begin looking at the ethical and social issues relating to VCJD testing. The report and recommendations of seminar held in March 2005 are available below for download in pdf format.

Report of seminar on ethical and social aspects of testing for vCJD. October 2005 (PDF, 113 KB)

Recommendations of the seminar on ethical and social aspects of testing for vCJD. October 2005 (PDF, 26 KB)

Last reviewed: 10 July 2009