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vCJD test

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woolley | 10:39 Tue 02nd Oct 2001 | Body & Soul
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Can you be tested for vCJD or is it just diagnosed after death?
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Yes there is a blood test for the variant CJD and is expected to become available in about 12-18 months' time, and once it has been proved reliable.
There are a lot of tests which can be done to help a diagnosis of vCJD if it is suspected, including MRI scan, and checking protein characteristics in the spinal fluid. None is very reliable. The only surefire way to diagnose it is by pathological examination of a tissue sample - this usually is brain tissue obtained post mortem, but it may be possible to diagnose it by looking at samples of tonsil or spleen obtained by operation. However as suspicion of vCJD only arises when the patient becomes demented this still is not much use. I guess the answer is if you are sane enough to worry about it then you do not have it.

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