up more sates./
ask for FWer Butler.
Pdrt G&ir Httta*'. Kirk 1'niW
Afford.
-advkrtisim; i;ri) J
CPR
ESTAB. 1754 No. 42,733
LEEDS THURSDAY, D
Tests on haemophiliacs positive
NHS blood
carries killer
AIDS virus
BRITAIN'S Health Ser­
vice blood supply has
become
contaminated
with the virus thought to
i cause t h e kiiler disease
AIDS.
New evidence confirms the
worst fears that the battle to
prevent it infiltrating blood
used for transfusions and to
make blood products has
failed.
T h e v i r u s likely to c a u s e A I D S h a s
b e e n d e t e c t e d in p a t i e n t s t r e a t e d w i t h
N H S blood c o n c e n t r a t e in b o t h £ng*
f - l a u d a n d Scotland, a n d y e s t e r d a y t h e
f
haemophilia Society of Great B r i t a i n
v l a i d t h e c o u n t r y ' s blood s u p p l y could
n o l o n g e r be g u a r a n t e e d pure.
• In A m e r i c a , where AIDS i s well
- f s u b h s h e d among t h e homosexual
YOKkMUKF
PONT
EXCLUSIVE
If ANGUS KING, KWol Comspndmt
c o m m u n i t y , p e o p l e h a v e al s o d i e d a f t e r
being g i v e n t h e d i s e a s e accidentally in
c o n t a m i n a t e d blood
T h e victims h a v e b e t a hospital
p a t i e n t s receiving blood transfusions
and haemophiliacs who are treated
routinely w i t h a blood product cailed
F a c t o r 8.
I n Britain, there are as y e t n o
reported t r a n s f u s i o n cases, but three
haemophiliacs h a v e inadvertently been
g i v e n AIDS. T w o a r e now d e a d .
S o m e 60 p e r cen t , of B r i t a i n ' s F a c t o r
8 is i m p o r t e d f r o m t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s
a n d t h i s was t h o u g h t most likely t o b e
r e s p o n s i b l e f o r p a s s i n g o n t h e virus.
But it is now c l e a r that the hlood
collecting service and supply in Britain
is itself c o n t a m i n a t e d .
T e s t s on haemophiliac patients at
E d i n b u r g h ' s Royal Infirmary have
r e v e a l e d A I D S v i r u s a n t i b o d i e s in
s e v e r a l patients. T h i s m e a n s t h a t t h e y
h a v e b e e n e x p o s e d to t h e v i r u s itself,
a n d si is possible t h e y m a y d e v e l o p t h e
disease.
T h e crucial element in t h e s e tests
was that the patients had b e e n treated
only with Factor 8 produced by the
N H S in Scotland. A n additional concern i s t h a t all N o r t h e r n I r e l a n d ' s
s u p p l i e s of F a c t o r 8 a r e p r o d u c e d in
E d i n b u r g h by t h e Scottish P r o t e i n
Fractionation Centre.
It is now k n o w n t h a t t w o b a t c h e s of
Factor 8 produced at t h e Government's
blood p r o d u c t s l a b o r a t o r y at Elstree,
Herts, were also contamined.
•
I n t h i s c o u n t r y F a c t o r 8 is m a d e j
f r o m p l a s m a t a k e n f r o m whole blood I
g i v e n by volunteers. Doctors working .
in h a e m o p h i l i a c e n t r e s c o n s i d e r t h a t I
t h e N H S blood s u p p l y h a s b e e n |
c o m p r o m i s e d a n d is n o Jonger s a f e f o r j
their patients.
!
W s f m l a y t h e Haemophilia C e n t r e 1
D i r e c t o r s O r g a n i s a t i o n said it was
i s s u i n g a policy r e c o m m e n d a t i o n t o 100
medical units i n Britain that p a t i e n t s
s h o u l d n o longer be treated with t h e
, NHS product.
D r . P e t e r J o n e s , director of t h e
h a e m o p h i l i a u n i t a t N e w c a s t l e Royal
Victoria I n f i r m a r y , h a s a l r e a d y stop­
p e d u s m g N H S F a c t o r 8. AH m a t e r i a l
f o r h i s p a t i e n t s will now b e a n e w a n d
m o r e costly h e a t - t r e a t e d F a c t o r 8
i m p o r t e d f r o m the. ITS. by t h e N o r t h ­
e r n Regional H e a l t h A u t h o r i t y .
T h i s heat-treated p r o d u c t is thought
to b e A I D S free, but is not available in
E n g l a n d . Pressure from d o c t o r s o n the
G o v e r n m e n t h a s not m a d e a v a i l a b l e
any f u n d s to deal with t h e present
e m e r g e n c y i n v o l v i n g haemophiliacs.
D r . C h r i s t o p h e r Ludlam, a consul­
t a n t haemalologist a n d d i r e c t o r of t h e
h a e m o p h i l i a c e n t r e at E d i n b u r g h
Koyal I n f i r m a r y , a d m i t t e d yesterday
t h a t antibodies t o the suspected A I D S
v i r u s h a d b e e n f o u n d r e c e n t l y i n 18 of
h i s patients w h o w e r e receiving only
t h e N H S m a t e r i a l . H e told t h e York­
shire Post:
" W e picked u p t h e H T L V 3
antibodies a s p a r t of a r e s e a r c h
project W e h a d h o p e d t h e y would n o t
b e there. What this means is that these
p a t i e n t s h a v e b e e n exposed t o t h e
virus.
:
" W e know it w a s n o t f r o m a n j
A m e r i c a n blood p r o d u c t — b e c a u s e all 1
t h e s e p a t i e n t s h a v e b e e n treated o n l y
w i t h Scottish F a c t o r 8. T h e y m a y o r
m a y n o t still h a v e t h e v i r u s — it is
.something we cannot tell.
:
"This amounts to evidence that the I
m a t e r i a l in S c o t l a n d h a s b e e n con­
t a m i n a t e d with HTLV 3, a n d t h i s m u s t
have come from a donor or donors who
h a v e t h e virus.
" I c a n categorically s a y t h a t t o d a t e
t h e r e h a v e b e e n n o c a s e s of A I D S in
S c o t l a n d a t t r i b u t a b l e to Scottish
Factor 8, My patients a r e all clinically
well at t h e moment.
" O n p r e s e n t e v i d e n c e it would
appear t h a t a l t h o u g h A I D S m a y b e
c a u s e d by H T L V 3 only a small
p e r c e n t a g e of p e o p l e w h o b e c o m e
i n f e c t e d actually d e v e l o p t h e disease.
" W e d o n o t know w h y 9 "
P a r t l y a s a r e s u l t of t h i s discovery,
all Factor 8 In Scotland is being heat
treated to kill t h e virus. T h i s does n o t
m e a n that people who unknowingly
c a r r y t h e A I D S v i r u s will s t o p g i v i n g
blood. W h o l e blood c a n n o t b e h e a t
t r e a t e d t o m a k e it safe, becau.se it just
congeals,
N e w s of t h e positive t e s t i n g was
broken to haemophiliacs from Edin­
burgh a n d Glasgow at a meeting last
night. T h e y were told collectively that
Continued o s Page 1
SGH.002.6492
NHS blood carries killer virus
F r o m page o n e
s o m e of t h e m w e r e c a r r y i n g AI DS
antibodies.
D r . L u d l a m said: "If individual
p a t i e n t s w a n t t o know w h e r e t h e y
s t a n d I shall tell t h e m . "
P a t i e n t s w e r e strongly advised t h a t
f r o m now on t h e y should w e a r contra­
ceptive sheaths during intercourse to
protect their partners f r o m danger.
T h e y w e r e also u r g e d to t a k e every
precaution when making u p their
F a c t o r 8 f o r h o m e injections, a n d
disposing of needles, s y r i n g e s a n d
plastic gloves.
S t r i n g e s t s a f e t y precautions a r e al­
r e a d y in f o r c e t o protect medical a n d
laboratory staff who a r e h a n d l i n g t h e
blood a t E d i n b u r g h I n f i r m a r y .
I was told y e s t e r d a y by a n o t h e r
c e n t r e director: " T w o c e n t r e s h e r e in
London ha ve h a d t h e s a m e experience.
T w o b a t c h e s of Factor 8 f r o m E l s t r e e
h a v e b e e n contaminated with t h e A I D S
virus."
A t St. T h o m a s ' s Hospital, London,
w h i c h serves haemophiliacs f r o m S E
a n d S W T h a m e s a r e a s , two p a t i e n t s
w h o received exclusively N H S F a c t o r 8
f r o m E l s t r e e a r e also c a r r y i n g t h e
suspected A I D S v i r u s antibodies.
T h e director of t h e haemophilia
c e n t r e t h e r e , Dr. G e o f f r e y Savage,
s a i d : " I t is going t o b e hell o n e a r t h
w h e n t hi s comes out. I a m d u m p i n g all
m y commercial F actor 8 f r o m t h e U.S.
i n f a v o u r of h e a t t r e a t e d material.
" T h e m a j o r i t y of my p a t i e n t s will b e
g e t t i n g it within t h e n e x t t h r e e days. I t
is m o r e d i f f i c u l t politically a n d practi­
cally to d u m p t h e N H S F a c t o r 8,
b e c a u s e if I d i d t h a t s t r a i g h t away t h e
switch-over would b a n k r u p t hospitals
in t h e a r e a . I t will h a v e t o b e phased
out.
" I a m not p r e p a r e d t o wait a n d
expose my p a t i e n t s t o t h e risk. I t is a
horrible
issue
and
a
horrible
dilemma."
Recent evidence suggested that N H S
F a c t o r 8 which is n o t h e a t t r e a t e d
m i g h t b e contaminated.
" O n e cannot b e s u r e , a n d f r o m t h e
p a t i e n t s ' p o i n t of view it would b e
b e t t e r not t o u s e it u n t i l o n ei r d a m n
s u r e it is OK," said Dr. Savage.
P r o f . A r t h u r Bloom, a t University
College, C a r d i f f , w h o is c h a i r m a n of
t h e Haemophilia C e n t r e Directors
Organisation, said h e was a w a r e of
s o m e p r o b l e m s with t w o b a t c h e s of
N H S F a c t o r 8, o n e p r o d u c e d in Scot­
l a n d a n d t h e o t h e r f r o m Elstree.
" R e g r e t t a b l e t h o u g h t h i s is, it does
not really c o n s t i t u t e a c o m p a r a b l e
situation w i t h t h e USA, w h e r e I
believe almost e v e r y b a t c h of F a c t o r 8
is c o n t a m i n a t e d .
" A s a m a t t e r of policy, w e a r e now
going t o stop u s i n g N H S F a c t o r 8 u n t i l
it c a n b e h e a t t r e a t e d . T h e m a i n t h i n g
t h a t publicity c a n d o now is t o p u s h t h e
G o v e r n m e n t t o m a k e s u r e we c a n
become self s u f f i c i e n t in h e a t t r e a t e d
F a c t o r 8 in t h i s c o u n t r y a s soon a s
possible."
T h e Haemophilia Society said yes­
t
t e r d a y t h a t it h a s w a r n e d t h e Govern­
m e n t of t h e d a n g e r .
T h e co-ordinator, Mr. David W a t t e r s ,
said: " W e d r e w t h e attention of t h e
D e p a r t m e n t of H e a l t h t o o u r w o r r i e s
a b o u t blood d o n o r s c r e e n i n g in t h e U K
s o m e m o n t h s ago. W e a r e not s u r p r i s e d
t h e r e f o r e b y t h e news t h a t Scottish
Factor 8 has been found to be
c o n t a m i n e d w i t h t h e HTLV 3 virus.
" T h i s u n d e r l i n e s t h e very g r e a t
u r g e n c y a t t a c h e d to t h e i m m e d i a t e
introduction of h e a t t r e a t e d F a c t o r 8,
which t h e Haemophilia Society, a l o n g
with t h e Y o r k s h i r e Post, h a s b e e n
p r e s s i n g f o r since early November.
" W e believe t h a t a p a r t f r o m haemo­
philia itself t h e r e is. a t t h e p r e s e n t
time, n o risk g r e a t e r t h a n AIDS. I n
r e c e n t weeks w e h av e b e e n all b u t
overwhelmed by requests for accurate
i n f o r m a t i o n a n d action t o r e d u c e t h e
risks involved with blood products.
" W h a t we m u s t do at all costs is t o
t r y t o avoid f u r t h e r s p r e a d of t h e
virus. I h a v e j u s t spoken t o a m o t h e r
who h a s t a k e n h e r kid off t r e a t m e n t . I t
is t h e worst t h i n g t o d o — it can m e a n
j o i n t damage, r u i n e d lives a n d t h e
possibility of f a t a l bleeds."
T h e AIDS virus — Acquired
I m m u n e Deficiency S y n d r o m e —
d e s t r o y s p a r t of t h e h u m a n body's
n a t u r a l d e f e n c e s against disease, a n d
leaves t h e way open f o r killer infec­
tions.
A s y e t t h e r e is n o t e s t available t o
detect it, t h e r e is n o cure, a n d it m a y
b e p r e s e n t in t h e body without obvious
e f f e c t f o r b e t w e e n 28 m o n t h s a n d f i v e
year s . D u r i n g t h i s t i m e it can b e
passed o n t o o t h e r s .
E v e n t h e t e s t which detects
antibodies c a n n o t b e contemplated o n a
wide scale b e c a u s e of practical difficul­
ties.
T h i s t e s t is anyway of limited v a l u e
b e c a u s e only a small proportion of
those exposed t o t h e A I D S v i r u s
actually d e v e l o p AIDS. I t is n o t known
exactly w h y t h i s is.
A I D S h a s killed m o r e t h a n half its
7,000 victims in t h e U.S. — less t h a n
100 f r o m c o n t a m i n a t e d blood t r a n s f u ­
sions a n d a s i m i l a r proportion of t h e 90
cases r e p o r t e d in Britain.
S ome 70 p e r cent, of cases involve
white, m a l e homosexuals o r intrave­
n o u s d r u g a b u s e r s . I t is believed t h a t
t h e v i r u s is p a s s e d on b y blood contact
— a n a l i n t e r c o u r s e in t h e case of
homosexual
and
contaminated
h y p e r d e r m i c s a m o n g d r u g addicts,
m a k i n g t h e s e t h e two groups of highest
risk.
Scientists r e c e n t l y discovered t h a t
t h e suspected A I D S v i r u s m i g h t b e
destroyed by h e a t i n g F a c t o r 8 t o
70deg.C. A s a r e s u l t t h i s new p r o d u c t is
b e i n g widely u s e d in America, Austra­
lia a n d G e r m a n y t o protect haemo­
philiacs.
I n E n g l a n d , however, h e a t t r e a t e d
F a c t o r 8 is n o t y e t licensed a n d , in t h e
absence of a n y G o v e r n m e n t action t o
b u y in s u p p l i e s f r o m abroad, haemo­
philia c e n t r e s h a v e t o g o c a p in h a n d t o
t h e i r h e a l t h a u t h o r i t i e s f o r e x t r a cash
t o p r o t e c t t h e lives of t h e i r patients.