Home
Bupa members

Support and offers for individual members and customers

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) Q&As

Published by Bupa's health information team, March 2009.

Answers to questions about Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)

This section contains answers to common questions about this topic. Questions have been suggested by health professionals, website feedback and requests via email.

Is there a risk of catching Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) from having an operation?

Although the estimates of the number of people at risk of developing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) have been going down, it's theoretically possible to be infected during surgery with the faulty protein (prion) that causes CJD.

Explanation

Surgical instruments are sterilised to clean them of anything that could cause infection, such as viruses and bacteria. Scientists have shown that the prion that causes CJD can stick to surgical stainless steel and survive standard cleaning methods. However, because CJD is a rare disease and the types of high-risk operations that have been associated with passing on CJD (for example, those on the brain) aren't the most common, it would seem the risk is extremely low.

This risk has also been reduced through improved decontamination procedures. Moreover, instruments used on people who are known to have CJD, or to be at clear risk of the condition, are never used on other people. There is no clear evidence that surgical instruments have ever been directly responsible for transmitting the infection.

For a while, it was thought that having your tonsils removed could put you at risk of becoming infected with CJD. Therefore, disposable instruments were used to carry out this operation. However, many surgeons thought that these instruments were of lower quality and using them was actually a greater risk to patients than the possible risk of CJD.

Further information

Sources

  • Garske T, Ward H, Clarke P et al. Factors determining the potential for onward transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease via surgical instruments. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 2006; 3(11):757-766
  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and surgery: information for clinicians. Health Protection Agency. www.hpa.org.uk, accessed 24 November 2008
  • IPG196 Patient safety and reduction of risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) via interventional procedures. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2006. www.nice.org.uk
back to top

If I have Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), can I pass it on during sex?

No, there is no evidence that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) can be passed from one person to another by having sex.

Explanation

The faulty protein (prion) that causes CJD is found in the nerves of the body, including the brain and spinal cord. It's possible that the disease may be passed on through transplant operations of organs that include these tissues. There is also a very small risk that it may be passed on through contamination of surgical instruments. However, other forms of contact aren't a risk. The infection can't be transmitted through shaking hands, sneezing, coughing or having sex.

Sources

  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and surgery: information for clinicians. Health Protection Agency. www.hpa.org.uk, accessed 24 November 2008
back to top

I'm a vegetarian. Does this mean there is no way I will get Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)?

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a very rare disease. However, some forms of the disease aren't linked to eating contaminated meat and so vegetarians could be affected.

Explanation

If you have never eaten meat or meat products, it's highly unlikely that you will get variant CJD (vCJD) - the form of the disease linked to eating contaminated meat. There is a very small risk that you could get one of the other forms of the disease. However, it's important to realise that CJD, in all its forms, is a very rare disease. In the last 18 years, 1334 people in the UK have been confirmed to have died from it. This is less than half the number of people killed in road accidents every year. Unless CJD runs in your family, or you know that you have been at risk from a medical or surgical treatment, there is only a tiny chance that you may have been affected.

Further information

Sources

back to top

Related topics

back to top

This information was published by Bupa's health information team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been peer reviewed by Bupa doctors. The content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.

Publication date: March 2009

 

Rate this page

Up to £100 off a Bupa Health assessment

Bupa health insurance

Free online health check

Bupa Care Homes

Bupa travel cover