Holly Mills aged 24 longest survivor of vCJD (Human Mad Cow's Disease) has sadly died

[Beaaware]

I read today that Holly Mills has passed away yesterday, she developed the symptons of vCJD in 2003 and soon became wheelchair bound and disabled, Holly was a beautiful bright young lady who was planning to become a midwife.
My thoughts and prayers are with Holly parents at this sad time

thoughts with the family xx

Unfortunately Holly is just one of many innocent people who have been exposed to Human BSE either through food, vaccines or medical procedures, still in 2011 we have no cure, no treatment for vCJD but we do have a blood test which can detect vCJD in anyone, if used, this simple blood test would stop the spread of vCJD via blood and medical procedures, a simple test developed by John Collinge, all we need is the government to implement this blood test, so why are they not doing this? Why do they continue to put the publics health at risk? I have read NHS patient leaflets for blood and plasma transfusions, both warning patients that they are at risk of vCJD through this treatment, this is so wrong and avoidable, with one simple blood test NOBODY will be at risk of vCJD, I urge anyone concerned to sign the latest petition to screen all blood for vCJD, the link is on mumsnet campaigns.

Very sad.

I do think that cjd could be a bigger problem in the future. In hospitals we have to ask people having surgery if they've ever been told they're at risk of cjd. This is so the instruments can be binned afterwards as the prions cant be destroyed by normal sterilisation. But what about people who may have it but don't know? Surgical instruments could be infecting people.

Don't know how long it can lie dormant for.

Wow, just read the incubation period could be as long as 50 years.

VivaLeBeaver,yes people are being infected through surgical instruments, as far as I am aware stainless steel surgical instruments (including dental) are not decontaminated to remove infected prions. According to latest statistics by the HPA at least 5000 people have now been notified in writing that they have been put at risk of Human BSE just through medical procedures. is'nt this shocking when there is no cure for it, we dont expect to go into hospital for one treatment and come out to be told we have been exposed to a deadly disease. Ths is all so avoidable if they use the latest blood test on everyone to see who is carrying vCJD, millions of us have been exposed and many people are asymptomatic carriers (silent carriers) who many never actually develop the disease but are able to pass it on through blood, tissues, organs.............I read about these poor innocent people like Holly, how were they infected? was it beef, was blood products, vaccines, gelatine, the list is endless and today we are no further forward in stopping the spread of vCJD, we have to introduce a blood test and decontaminate all instruments, every patient has the right to safe blood and surgical instruments and be told the truth.

When I read the NHS patient leaflets for children who have to undergo blood transfusions it makes me so sad, these poor children can never give blood or donate organs in the future all because they may have been exposed to vCJD, the government do not seem to want to protect the public's health, why?