Certified Tissue Bank Specialist (CTBS) Practice Test

How long must a person have lived cumulatively in Europe to be considered at risk for variant CJD?

1. Three months

2. Six months

3. Five years

4. Ten years

The correct answer is: Five years

To determine the risk for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), specific criteria have been established regarding a person's residence in Europe. A person must have lived cumulatively in Europe for a duration of five years or more to be considered at risk for vCJD. This duration is based on epidemiological studies that suggest a correlation between residence in the UK, especially during specific periods when Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) was prevalent, and the development of vCJD. The risk assessment is rooted in the understanding that prolonged exposure to potentially infected beef products during an outbreak of BSE could lead to the transmission of prion diseases like vCJD. Therefore, the five-year threshold is a critical marker established by health authorities to identify individuals who may be at increased risk due to possible exposure. Other options, while they indicate shorter periods spent in Europe, do not align with the established scientific consensus and risk factors associated with vCJD, making them inadequate as indicators of significant risk.