Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Question 261: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding potential blood donors who have had surgical procedures carried out in Northern Ireland being excluded from donating blood to the Irish Blood Transfusion Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11100/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The IBTS have introduced a number of risk reduction measures to decrease the likelihood of vCJD being transmitted by blood transfusion. These measures include donors being permanently excluded from donating blood who have had neurological surgery or eye surgery, including laser treatment, in the UK on or after 1 January 1980. Persons who have had an adenoidectomy, appendectomy, tonsillectomy, splenectomy or lymph node biopsy in the UK on or after 1 January 1980 are also permanently excluded. This measure was introduced in November 2004.

Also excluded are persons who have had root canal treatment performed in the UK on or after 1 January 1980 unless it can be established that the person's dentist used only single use disposable files and reamers. This measure was introduced in October 2006.

These particular operations were thought to be of particular concern as they either involved neurological tissue, or tissues such as tonsils, appendices, lymph nodes or spleens in which abnormal prion protein had been found. The concern with the instruments was that they may previously have been used on patients who later went on to develop vCJD. Even if the instruments were thoroughly cleaned and sterilised after surgery, there was a concern that abnormal prion protein could have adhered to the instruments and could therefore be transmitted to other patients who were subsequently operated upon using these instruments.

Donors who have had other operations in the UK are not excluded from donating as long as the underlying condition is not in itself a reason for deferral, they have fully recovered from the operation and a blood transfusion was not required. Patients who have had a blood transfusion as part of a treatment regime or surgery are permanently excluded from donating blood, irrespective of where the treatment took place.