How many other veterans and service members are not permitted to donate blood? Why?

Thank you for responding TSgt Rodney Bidinger because you stationed at RAF Chicksands, England, UK from 1981 through 1990 which was all through the "Mad Cow" time period.
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That is very sad news SSgt Jim Gilmore that you were infected with Hepatitis B in a blood-borne pathogen hazardous-material spill.
Are you still infected or have you had any treatments which reduced or healed you from Hepatitis B?
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Treatments received at the time rid me of the disease but am still a carrier. Recent blood tests indicate I am immune from any further exposure.

Wow PO2 Steven Michaeli. I am glad you were able to donate 3 gallons of blood one pint at a time and being able to earn a 3-gallon pin. It is very sad to me that those of stationed in Western Europe are suspected of being exposed to bovine spongiform [Mad Cow] which would be transformed into the human disease Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD).
There is no blood test for this yet even though it has been known to affect millions since the early 1980s. As far as I know only one human has died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD).

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LTC Stephen F. PO2 Steven Michaeli Think that is fairly common. I never made the 3 gal point but used to donate regularly until somewhere around 2000s when they said I could no longer donate.

Thank you for letting us know, my friend Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen -

That is very sad news SSG Robert Perrotto that even though you used the proper precautions you were exposed to Hepatitis C and can no longer donate blood.
FYI Cpl Scott McCarroll is now virus free after recently completing a 16 week treatment plan for Harvoni which was administered "twice a week. The medication was not expensive that I had to pick it up in person. I also had to visit the pharmacy doctor who was running the program."

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SSG Robert Perrotto,LTC Stephen F., I hope that I didn't mislead you. Yes I am virus free, although I can't donate blood or be an organ donor.

The treatment was 3 months long, I took one pill every day. And had to go to the VA Hospital in Big Springs to get the perscription as they wanted the individuals in the program to physically come and sign for the meds. I submitted Blood after 6 weeks, and I was virus free then however she wanted me to do the whole program. This is a link to a website that can explain better than I. I wish you good luck and hopefully a treatment to soon be able to say you are part of the 98% that are now cured. Oh yeah I remembered this, I also need to have an ultrasound every year. Oops LMAO, I forgot that I had my mentioned list in my clip board because I am using the website.

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LCDR F. Hardy:

Sir, I believe that you have misunderstood what I had to say in the beginning. I am fully aware that there are nurses and doctors who are excellent at their work, however, there are a few who are not! Unfortunately, it has been my medical concerns which have brought me into contact with enough of such, to be cautious in my approaches to such people until who I know who I am dealing with! Perhaps you have been fortunate in your past dealing with medical personnel, so have I, which I did not find necessary, beyond which I originally wrote, to expand upon. My message was to alert a possibility, nothing more. I am pleased that you had such good sucess with your medical adventures. My point was that I have not always enjoyed such an excellent solution, from my involvement with members of the medical profession.

Oh indeed, there are doctors and nurses who are NOT excellent in their career field. I personally assisted one physician and a couple of nurses in involuntary separation from active duty. I was greatly dismayed when, about eight years after my retirement, I encountered the physician in question STILL PRACTICING MEDICINE.

LCDR F. Hardy:
Sir; from your comments, it's seems to me that in this matter we are in agreement. I salute you for your service, and it is gentlemen like yourself that I would like tomcall "friend" and communicate with from time to time. My thanks for your views, and you comments. As always here in RP I have leaned something of value!

Sounds fine to me! <Grins>

Thank you for responding my friend Cpl Scott McCarroll I am glad to know that you are healed from Hepatitis C. The spelling for the treatment is Harvoni. I hope the 16 week treatment was without serious side effects.
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LTC Stephen F., the real hard part was that I had to go to the VA hospital in Big Springs, I don't have a car so I had to ride up on the Shuttle van which runs twice a week. The medication was not expensive that I had to pick it up in person. I also had to visit the pharmacy doctor who was running the program.

Thank you for sharing the part of The Rest of the Story [apologies to Paul Harvey] Cpl Scott McCarroll.
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Great share Scott, so far I've been able to donate, end of the month will my 37th unit to donate.

Thank you for responding LTC Lee Rials and sharing an appropriate pun :-)
I have only heard of one person who actually was diagnosed with the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD) which is the human strain of "Mad Cow Disease."
I hope one day there will be as much effort in to identifying vCJD as there was in identifying HIV for the purposes of clearing blood for donation. HIV had immense political backing while vCJD exposure affects primarily military service members, veterans and their families.

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PO1 John Miller I have never heard of anybody being infected with Hood and Mouth Disease [HMD] (Aphthae epizooticae) which is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids. The virus causes a high fever for approximately two to six days, followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet that may rupture and cause lameness.
"Humans are very rarely infected."

I can see why the anti0malaria medication would limit your ability to donate blood. However, since HMD presents rapidly it is strange that you would be restricted at this point because of HMD.
[Hand-foot-and-mouth disease — a mild, contagious viral infection common in young children — is characterized by sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus.]

"Hoof and Mouth Disease by Dr. Richard Wallace
Hoof and Mouth Disease (HMD) is an acute infectious disease of cloven-hoofed animals. The name "Foot and Mouth Disease" is a misnomer since the animals this disease affects technically do not have "feet." In susceptible populations, there is a high rate of illness when an outbreak occurs but the death loss is minimal. This disease primarily has severe economic implications for the livestock industries. Hoof and Mouth disease is characterized by vesiculation, or blistering of the hooves and oral cavity. Cattle, swine, sheep, and goats are all susceptible. Seven immunologic types, over 60 subtypes and numerous strains have been identified.

The disease is enzootic in many areas of the world, including most of Asia, Africa, and South America. North and Central America, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan are free of infection. It had been largely controlled by vaccination in Europe and the Scandinavian Countries. Until recently the United Kingdom was considered free of the disease. Mexico experienced an extensive outbreak between 1946 and 1953. In 1952, a small focus of infection was identified in the Saskatchewan Province, Canada, but eradication was prompt. The last outbreak of HMD in the United States was in 1929.

The Pan Asia strain of HMD has been isolated as the cause of the disease in Britain. Origins of the Pan Asia strain are thought to be the Indian sub-continent, although some believe it may have come from China. The disease has been contained to sporadic outbreaks in Asia despite its endemic status, until last year when it caused Japan's first outbreak in 90 years and South Korea's first in 60 years. Japan and Korea have eradicated HMD after last year's outbreaks, while Taiwan shows only occasional slight activity. The virus probably entered Britain in food products but it is unknown where these products originated. The disease first appeared in pigs at Burnside Farm in Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, UK. These pigs may have been fed waste food scraps that supports the theory of food product contamination.

In enzootic areas, the incidence of disease ranges from sporadic to more or less continuous and appears to be related to the efficacy of available vaccines and the proportion of the susceptible animal population immunized. The emergence of a field strain of virus quite different from that in the vaccine being used or the appearance of infection in a naive population gives rise to epizootics that are frequently extensive. Morbidity is generally over 90 percent in susceptible cattle and pigs, and mortality is low or insignificant, except in very young animals.

The most common means of infection is by the inhalation of virus-containing aerosols. Infection can also result from ingestion of relatively large amounts of virus-contaminated materials or entry of the virus into the eye, nose, udder, or uterus. Direct contamination of abraded epithelial surfaces, especially in the oral cavity is an extremely efficient means of introducing the virus. The virus multiplies initially in the pharyngeal region after aerosol exposure, and some virus is also thought to enter the blood stream directly from the pulmonary alveoli and to be circulated to other multiplication sites. Vesicular lesions (blisters) are most frequently observed in the epithelium of the mouth, nares, muzzle, snout, interdigital space, coronary band, teats, and rumen papillae. The virus can also cause degeneration of heart muscle, which may result in sudden death of the host. The virus can be found in all parts of the body during the viremic stage of the infection. Virus is present in extremely large amounts in vesicular material, and essentially all secretions and excretions of diseased animals contain some virus. Such animals also generate infectious aerosols.

Two important aspects of the pathogenesis of HMD lead to control problems. One is the ability of the virus to multiply in the pharyngeal region of vaccinated or even recovered cattle. Another is the ability of the virus to persist in cattle, sheep, and goats, but not in swine, for weeks or even months after all lesions have healed. Much circumstantial evidence shows that the persistently infected animals, referred to as carriers, can transmit virus to other animals and thereby cause new outbreaks of disease, but such transmission has not been shown under controlled laboratory conditions.

Direct losses associated with an outbreak of HMD include the loss of animals that are slaughtered during eradication campaigns and the severe marketing restrictions caused by quarantines that would be imposed on large areas of the country. Indirect losses, predicted to be approximately 10 times the direct losses, result from disruption of the agriculture industry, loss of foreign markets, and restrictions on hunting, fairs, shows, race meets, and sporting events. In those countries where the disease is enzootic, losses result from time and expense of vaccination campaigns, from the production and culling losses during the periodic outbreaks, and from the loss of foreign markets.

Clinical Signs
Cattle
Initial signs are dullness, inappetance, decreased milk production, and fever, followed by an increased salivation, lameness, and serous nasal discharge. Smacking of the lips, drooling, and increased nasal discharge follows the appearance of early vesicles or blisters on the epithelium. As the blisters increase in size and number, soreness of the hooves leads to treading and kicking, and lesions become readily apparent. Vesicles may appear on the lips, gums, dental pad, tongue, nares, muzzle, interdigital spaces, and teats. These rupture in time and leave eroded areas. Lesions on the hard palate are seldom seen as vesicles but appear first as erosions. All food is refused if the mouth is severely involved, and severe hoof involvement may lead to reluctance to rise or refusal to move. The nostrils may become occluded with a muco-purulent discharge. Lactating cows may develop vesicles on the teats. Abortions have been observed in early pregnancy and calves with few visible lesions may die suddenly.

Swine
Early signs include fever, inappetance, and reluctance to move. Hoof involvement is usually severe, with pale areas of early vesiculation around the coronary band and in the interdigital space. Blisters may be seen on the snout and often reach considerable size before rupturing. Vesicles also appear in the mouth but are usually much smaller and shorter lived than those of cattle. Hoof vesicles rupture and leave raw areas around the top of the hoof. Such lesions are extremely painful and frequently cause an aberrant gait. Heavy animals may refuse to rise. Extension of these hoof lesions may lead to the sloughing of the hoof. Pregnant sows may abort, and nursing piglets may die suddenly.

Sheep and Goats
In general, a less severe picture is observed than that seen in cattle. Again, early signs are dullness and fever. Blisters may develop on the lips, gums, dental pad, or tongue but soon rupture and leave shallow erosions. Hoof lesions, consisting of vesiculation of the coronet or interdigital space, result in lameness that may be the first sign detected. Abortions or sudden death of nursing lambs may be the first evidence of disease in breeding flocks.

Diagnosis
Oral lesions in all species tend to heal quickly unless secondary bacterial infection supervenes. Hoof lesions take longer to heal, and hoof rot may develop and lead to extended lameness and sometimes abnormalities of the hoof. Mastitis, post-abortion retained placenta, and uterine infection are also seen.

During an autopsy, animals with blisterlike lesions in the mouth or nares and on the muzzle, snout, hooves, or teats should be suspected of having HMD. Depending upon the stage of disease, the lesions may also resemble erosions or ulcers. The sudden death of young animals or numerous abortions should lead to careful examination of adults. The differential diagnosis of suspicious conditions should include:

Cattle -Vesicular stomatitis, bluetongue, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, malignant catarrhal fever, bovine virus diarrhea/mucosal disease complex, mycotic stomatitis, and rinderpest.
Swine -Vesicular stomatitis and swine vesicular disease
Sheep - Bluetongue, sheep pox, contagious ecthyma (Orf), and ergot poisoning.
Goats - Goat pox and contagious ecthyma (Orf).
Laboratory diagnosis is required if one is to be certain of the disease involved. The various vesicular diseases, especially in swine, are clinically indistinguishable. Hoof and Mouth disease is a reportable disease in the United States and if HMD is suspected, federal or state animal health officials should be notified immediately.

Treatment
There is no known treatment for HMD. The United States subscribes to the eradication program that requires that all infected or exposed susceptible animals are killed and the carcasses buried or burned. Animal holding areas are then cleaned and disinfected and, after an appropriate waiting period, repopulated with a few susceptible, naive animals to determine the efficacy of the disinfecting procedure. All of the above procedures are performed under the direction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Emergency Programs Staff of the Animal and of the Plant Health Inspection Service is specially trained to handle such situations.

Prevention
Vaccines to control HMD are used in many parts of the world. Because vaccinated cattle can be infected even when exposed to homologous virus strains, HMD is seldom, if ever, eradicated by vaccination alone. However, vaccinating a large proportion of the susceptible population can keep the incidence of disease very low. The large number of antigenic variants that have appeared from time to time attest to the ability of the virus to adapt, and control officials must remain vigilant lest a strain of virus emerge against which the vaccine strains do not afford protection. For these reasons, HMD is considered to be enzootic in countries using vaccine.

Hoof and Mouth disease is widespread throughout the world, and modern rapid transportation of people and animals poses a real threat for its introduction into the United States. People can visit infected premises and be back on a US farm on the same day, perhaps bringing the virus with them. Literally tons of animal products are confiscated at ports of entry each year in an attempt to keep out foreign animal diseases. The USDA in under continuous pressure to allow the importation of animals and animal products from countries where HMD is enzootic. When such importation is allowed, it is done in the safest way possible. There is always the chance of illegal entry to circumvent the stringent requirements. Because of these potentially dangerous situations, the veterinary practitioner, in concert with the livestock operators in the US, must be constantly alert. Early diagnosis is the best defense and all suspicious conditions should be immediately reported to the state of animal health officials."
http://livestocktrail.illinois.edu/dairynet/paperDisplay.cfm?ContentID=603

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Thanks for responding SPC Margaret Higgins and letting us know that you are a designated organ donor.
I also have made the decision to donate any useful organs. However, I don't think I will have any useful organs except for research, most likely:-)
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LTC Stephen F. - GOD Bless you, Steve. We plan to keep you around for a Long time. We love you, Steve, all of us here on Rally Point.

Thank you CW5 Bradford ("Boog") Powell for responding. Being stationed in the Federal Republic of Germany in the early 1980s seems to ensure those of us who can not donate blood because it is assumed we were exposed to bovine spongiform [Mad Cow] from British beef in the military mess halls. The assumption is that we have developed Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD). As of now the only way to confirm vCJD is through autopsy - which nobody wants to volunteer for :-)
1. The funding went to discover ensuring those with HIV could donate
2. Exposure to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD) confirmation or exclusion was not a high priority since it affects primarily veterans and our families.
3. One day I hope there will be a test to determine if we have Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease,
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