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- Title
Mammalian Brain Consumption by U.S. Blood Donors: Brains Today, Deferred Tomorrow?
- Authors
Schreiber, G.B.; Sanchez, A.M.; Garratty, G.; Nass, C.C.; Tu, Y.; Busch, M.P.; Williams, A.E.
- Abstract
Background: The theoretical concern that new variant CJD could be transmitted by eating an infected animal's brain raises the possibility of mammalian brain consumption becoming a deferral criterion. No information concerning the brain consumption habits of donors exists. Methods: Findings from a 1998 anonymous mail survey of 92,581 US blood donors from eight geographically diverse blood centers were assessed using weighted chi-square and descriptive analysis. Results: Approximately 52,650 donors (57%) responded to the survey. Mammalian brains were ever consumed by 6.4% of donors, with a 3.6 fold regional variability in brain eating among the blood centers (ranging from 3.8% to 13.7%). Types of brains donors reported consuming included: cow (3.6%), hog (1.7%), sheep (1.0%), squirrel (0.3%), goat (0.2%), monkey (0.1%) and rabbit (<0.1%). Brain eating was highest among older (age 55+, 11%), foreign born (17%), male (8%), Asian (14%) and Hispanic (12%) donors. Among Asians, Chinese donors were the most likely to consume brains (15% US born; 28% foreign born), and among Hispanics, Mexicans had the highest rates of brain consumption (11% US born; 33% foreign born). Most brain consumers ate only one type of brain (84%) and reported a lifetime consumption of <5 times (62%). However, 1.4% of brain consumers did report eating brains >100 times in their lives. Squirrel and goat brain eaters were the most likely to report a lifetime consumption of >100 times (3% for each group). Conclusions: If mammalian brain consumption became a deferral criterion, regional impacts on donor deferral could be considerable. With the relationship between bovine spongiform encephalopathy from contaminated human food and new-variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease any deferral would probably be based on consumption of cow or sheep brains, 4.3% of donors. Thus, it is possible that more donors would be lost from this restriction than from the deferrals associated with residence in the UK (an estimated 2.2%).
- Subjects
UNITED States; BLOOD donors; CREUTZFELDT-Jakob disease; INFECTIOUS disease transmission; DISEASES
- Publication
Transfusion, 2001, Vol 41, p35S
- ISSN
0041-1132
- Publication type
Article