British panel knew of HIV risks in 1983

May 26, 2007

Documents show a British government panel knew of the HIV risk from imported blood products as early as 1983.

The Committee on Safety of Medicines ruled against a ban on imported blood at the time because of fears of a supply shortage, The Guardian newspaper said Friday.

The newspaper said 1,757 patients have died and many are terminally ill after receiving the tainted plasma, called Factor VIII, made from blood from paid donors -- many who were inmates or homeless and at a higher risk of Hepatitis C.

A letter from Britain's Public Health Laboratory Service in 1983 warned that 14 hemophiliacs contracted AIDS after receiving Factor VIII concentrate, and that all U.S. blood products made from blood donated in the United States after 1978 should be withdrawn from use.

The newspaper said the British government has always insisted it did not understand the danger of using the blood products.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International


Rank not rated yet
Tags

Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Study finds that anti-diabetic medication can prevent the long-term effects of maternal obesity

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that show that short therapy with the anti-diabetic medication ...

Medicine & Health / Health

created 5 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1

Steroid injections prove effective in treatment of lumbar disc herniations

The use of epidural steroid injections may be a more efficient treatment option for lumbar disc herniations, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in ...

Medicine & Health / Health

created 5 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Amateur football players not always keen on returning to play after ACL injuries

Despite the known success rates of reconstructive Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgery, the number of high school and collegiate football players returning to play may not be as high as anticipated, say researchers presenting ...

Medicine & Health / Health

created 5 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Study finds elevated levels of cell-free DNA in first trimester do not predict preeclampsia

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that elevated levels of cell-free DNA in ...

Medicine & Health / Other

created 5 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

PRP treatment aids healing of elbow injuries say researchers

As elbow injuries continue to rise, especially in pitchers, procedures to help treat and get players back in the game quickly have been difficult to come by. However, a newer treatment called platelet rich plasma (PRP) may ...

Medicine & Health / Other

created 5 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0


Walney offshore wind farm is world's biggest (for now)

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Walney wind farm on the Irish Sea--characterized by high tides, waves and windy weather--officially opened this week. The farm is treated in the press as a very big deal as the Walney ...

Europeans protest controversial Internet pact

Tens of thousands of people marched in protests in more than a dozen European cities Saturday against a controversial anti-online piracy pact that critics say could curtail Internet freedom.

GPS court ruling leaves US phone tracking unclear

A US Supreme Court decision requiring a warrant to place a GPS device on the car of a criminal suspect leaves unresolved the bigger issue of police tracking using mobile phones, legal experts say.

Europe stakes billion-dollar bet on new rocket

A pencil-slim rocket is scheduled to lift into space from South America on Monday, carrying a billion-dollar bet that Europe can grab a juicy slice of the market to place satellites in low orbit.

Anonymous briefly knocks CIA website offline (Update 2)

The website of the Central Intelligence Agency was briefly inaccessible on Friday after the hacker group Anonymous claimed to have knocked it offline.

Netflix settlement trims 14 pct off 4Q earnings

(AP) -- Netflix pressed the rewind button on its fourth-quarter earnings after settling allegations that the video subscription service violated a consumer-privacy law.