Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease decontamination of tissues and contaminated materials.

Although CJD is certainly infectious, like other unconventional viruses (slow viruses) it demonstrates a low potential for transmissibility to humans who are exposed accidentally to infected material. This may be due to a low dose of prion exposure or to reasons which are unknown at this point. When effective decontamination techniques are available, the processing of tissue from a suspected or confirmed case of CJD can be handled with confidence. Careful application of techniques makes the possibility of acquiring the disease remote, while not interfering with the diagnosis and care of patients.