[The risk of prion contamination through the transfusion of cellular products].

Since the publication of observations of variant Creutzfeld-Jacob disease (vCJD) having occurred in the UK due to transfusion of infected packed red cells, the risk of vCJD transmission by blood transfusion is established. In France, no such case has yet been reported, but among the French vCJD cases observed, three individuals, having entered the disease in 2004, are past blood donors. Thus, some individuals transfused in their past are at risk of developing a vCJD. The lack of available assay prevents the diagnosis of the infection in these recipients and the implementation of a specific screening of blood donations. In the UK and in France, several measures to ensure transfusion safety have been applied to reduce the risk of contamination by the variant.