Animal-to-Human Transplants Worry Disease Controllers

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1995. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Animal-to-Human Transplants Worry Disease Controllers

Washington Times (12/18/95) P. A8

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is entering the debate over the federal government's role in regulating cross-species transplants, or xenotransplants. CDC epidemiologist Louisa Chapman says that the question of whether such transplants could spread new diseases among humans is real. Some 150 diseases can be transmitted from animals to humans, and some can become even more dangerous in humans. Xenotransplants could facilitate that transmission, Chapman says, noting that the greatest fear is another pandemic like AIDS. "It probably won't happen, but it would be an event that could have a tremendously adverse public health impact," she explains. The CDC is developing guidelines for xenotransplants because both it and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) want to be prepared in case the method is found useful and can help alleviate the nation's organ shortage. Some xenotransplant experts claim that the government has no cause to intervene and say the CDC and FDA are overstating the risks.

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