US embassy cable - 05MADRID2834

UNCLAS MADRID 002834 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/STC AND EUR/WE; HHS FOR CDC AND NIH; DOA 
FOR APHIS AND FSIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, EAGR, SP 
SUBJECT: FIRST DEATH IN SPAIN FROM VARIANT 
CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE 
 
 
1. The Spanish Health Ministry announced July 29 that the 
first known Spanish death from Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob 
Disease (vCJD) had occurred July 10 in a Madrid hospital. 
(Note:  vCJD is likely contracted from eating products 
originating from animals infected with Bovine Spongiform 
Encephalopathy -- BSE.  End Note).  The victim was a 26-year 
old female Madrid resident who had first shown symptoms in 
December 2004 and is believed to have been infected sometime 
between 1994-99.  While the vCJD diagnosis remains tentative, 
pending confirmation from a Scottish laboratory, GOS 
authorities felt sufficiently confident of the verdict to 
inform the press. 
 
2. Health Ministry Deputy Director General for International 
Affairs Jose Perez Lazaro told ESTHOFF August 1 that the 
victim had apparently never traveled to the UK or any other 
foreign country and had no family history or risk factors 
associated with the other three strains of CJD.  Perez Lazaro 
did note, however, that the victim appears to have worked for 
a period in the "animal health" field.  Perez Lazaro 
underscored the GOS view that the death did not "represent a 
current danger," as the victim presumably contracted the 
disease prior to the 2001 application of strict, EU-mandated 
health controls to curb the spread of the disease in Spain. 
That said, given the estimated 5-10 year vCJD incubation 
period, the Health Ministry assumed more Spanish deaths from 
vCJD were likely.  Perez Lazaro said the confirmation from 
the Scottish lab should be received by late August. 
 
3.  According to Health Ministry figures, 150 people in the 
UK, nine in France, two in Ireland, and one each in the U.S., 
Canada, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the Netherlands, and Italy have 
died from vCJD.  Since the imposition of tighter EU controls 
in 2000, 37,007 BSE infected cattle have been detected in the 
UK, as compared with 921 in France, 896 in Portugal and 567 
in Spain.  The first of Spain's 567 infected cattle was 
detected in 2000.  A total of two cases were detected in 
2000, 82 in 2001, 127 in 2002, 167 in 2003, 137 in 2004, and 
52 through July 31, 2005. 
 
4.  The Health Ministry has offered to provide additional 
information on this case to interested U.S. Government 
agencies.  Should there be interest, please contact ESTHOFF 
Ken Forder by EMail at forderk@state.gov. 
AGUIRRE