“MAD COW DISEASE” (A TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCELPHALOPATHY CALLED CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE), A FATAL INCURABLE DISEASE, CAN BE TRANSMITTED ON DENTAL AND SURGICAL TOOLS USED ON AN INFECTED PATIENT, EVEN AFTER THEY ARE STERILIZED. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, WHERE MAD COW CASES ARE MORE COMMON, 5,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE UNKNOWINGLY CARRYING THE DISEASE MAY BE TRANSMITTING IT TO EPIDEMIC NUMBERS THROUGH BLOOD DONATIONS AND DENTAUSURGICAL TOOLS. IN THE U.S., CDC, FDA, AMA AND ADA AWAIT ADDITIONAL DATA BEFORE ALARMING PUBLIC, BUT HOSPITALS HAVE HAD TO QUARANTINE SURGICAL UNITS TO INCINERATE CONTENTS WHERE PATIENTS WERE TREATED. DENTALLY, THE HEALTH AND SAFETY STAFF AT THE UCSF DENTAL SCHOOL (SAME UNIVERSITY WHERE A RESEARCHER WON THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR DISCOVERING THE PRION) HAS ALL DENTAL TOOLS USED ON PATIENTS INCINERATED INSTEAD OF STERILIZED AS A PRECAUTION. NO OTHER DENTAL SCHOOL HAS THIS LEVEL OF PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. AS AN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST, I INTERVIEWED TOP GOVERNMENT AND ACADEMIC AND PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERS TO FIND OUT WHY THIS STORY IS FLYING UNDER THE RADAR. THE FINDINGS EXPLAIN HOW AGENCIES WORK TOGETHER TO CONTAIN HEALTH CARE STORIES THAT MAY INVOKE PANIC BEFORE THE AGENCIES ARE PREPARED TO HANDLE THE FLURRY OF CALLS AND INTERVIEWS.
