New Blood Test To Screen Blood Donors for Mad Cow's Disease (vCJD)

[Beaaware]

Posted on health as well, an interesting development which is in the news today. At long last a blood test has been developed by UK scientists at the MRC to test anyone for the human form of mad cow's disease. This is good news to stop the spread of vCJD via blood, but it is not likely to be introduced for the forseeable future. Trial blood donors are to be screened annonymously until this happens there is no guarantee that this new accurate will be introduced. Lets hope that this new test will be freely available to anyone wishing to ensure that they do not receive untested blood for an operation/transfusion, as public health should be at matter of priority.

Pity it isn't to be introduced quickly because AFAIK, blood banks are running low on stock ATM.

Unfortunately this new blood test is just a 'diagnostic' test and will only be used on patients suspected of having vCJD, previously the only way of diagnosing vCJD for certain is after death. Possibly in the future and who knows when this will be, they will start to test all blood donors as this is the only way to ensure infected blood is not passed on to unsuspecting patients.
What baffles me is that if this new blood test can accurately test a suspected case of vCJD then why is it not good enough to use on all blood donors?
It is possible for the Dept of health to trace a blood donor if you are concerned about a blood transfusion, many donors are not aware that they may be asymptomatic carriers of vCJD and may never go on to develop this themselves but have the ability to pass it on through donated blood. It is a worrying situation and a public health concern.