Creutzfeldt-jakob disease
Meaning of creutzfeldt-jakob disease: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: (a) means a spongiform encephalopathy characterised by an accumulation of abnormal prion protein in the brain; and (b) includes sporadic (classical) and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease;
Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 80 of 2022
At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease or death from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)receiving treatment involving a human tissue or product as specified at least 6 months before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease;
Note: human tissue or product as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)undergoing major surgery that requires general, spinal or epidural anaesthesia at least 6 months before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease;
Note: Major surgery that requires general, spinal or epidural anaesthesia includes neurosurgery, obstetric, gynaecological, or gastrointestinal surgical procedures. It does not include minor surgery such as needle aspiration or biopsy, superficial incision or endoscopy.
- (3)for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease only: (a) receiving blood or blood products from a person infected with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease at least 3 years before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; or (b) consuming beef or a beef product from an area or country with evidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy infection in cattle at the time of consumption, where the beef or beef product was consumed at least 3 years before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease; or (c) having percutaneous exposure to blood or tissue from an animal infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy at least 3 years before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease;
Note: Consuming beef or beef product contaminated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy has occurred in countries without domestic bovine spongiform encephalopathy that have imported beef or beef product from a country with bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Note: variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, blood products, beef product, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 81 of 2022
3 factors
At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or death from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)receiving treatment involving a human tissue or product as specified at least 6 months before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease;
Note: human tissue or product as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)undergoing neurosurgery at least 6 months before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease;
- (3)for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease only: (a) receiving blood or blood products from a person infected with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease at least 3 years before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; or (b) consuming beef or a beef product from an area or country with evidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy infection in cattle at the time of consumption, where the beef or beef product was consumed at least 3 years before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease;
Note: Consuming beef or beef product contaminated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy has occurred in countries without domestic bovine spongiform encephalopathy that have imported beef or beef product from a country with bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Note: variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, blood products, beef product, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
