London
Thousands of British citizens have been banned from giving blood because of fears of transmitting mad cow disease. Health Secretary John Reid said this week that a man who died of the human variant, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, might have contracted it from a transfusion. Now, anyone who has had a blood transfusion since 1980 may not give blood. Mad cow disease, which causes a fatal degeneration of the brain, can be passed to humans through the eating of contaminated beef, particularly organ meats. At least 139 people have died of the illness in Britain since it emerged there nine years ago.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Time-honored political tactic: Throw your wife under the bus'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
Best non-alcoholic spirits for summer cocktailsThe Week Recommends As hard liquor takes a backseat for many, the ingredients for the perfect mocktail are dryly delicious
-
Will Biden's tariffs hinder China's EV dominance?Today's Big Question Climate change goals and American jobs in tension
