EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HUMAN UNCONVENTIONAL VIRUSES INFECTIONS

Human unconventional viruses infections are scarcely found with a worl dwide occurrence below 1/million inhabitants. The disease would be ind uced by an interaction between the patient's genetic characteristics a nd environmental factors. No link has been found between the occurrenc e of the disease in man and the presence of the animal form of the dis ease, i.e. scrapie. The professional risk has been pointed out for peo ple working with animals or in the medical sector. Most iatrogenic cas es are subsequent to a growth hormone treatment. The other cases are a ssociated with different medical and surgical acts. But the transmissi on by blood transfusion remains questionable and must be clearly demon strated. A European multidisciplinary study was launched in 1992 in or der to set up an epidemiological surveillance network and to study ris k factors in the best conditions.