A doctor in Hong Kong has warned against an injection or oral intake of placenta extract after a Taiwanese woman became infected with CJD, the human form of mad cow disease.
The United Daily News reported yesterday a 46-year-old beautician in Tianan may be suffering from the rare and incurable brain-wasting illness Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, after receiving injections or orally taking placenta extract over a period of time.
Placenta extract is a substance extracted from a human or animal placenta which is claimed to delay aging. It is also used in many hair and skin-care products.
There has been no previous case of anyone suffering from CJD after taking placenta extract.
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According to United Daily News, family members of the patient told doctors she started to lose her memory last November. She then became unbalanced and unsteady and her health gradually deteriorated to her current almost vegetative state.
A scan showed cavities in the woman's brain, similar to patients suffering from CJD.
Doctor Joseph Fung Wai-kit, a specialist in dermatology, warned of the high risk of taking placenta extract.
"There has been no scientific proof that placenta extract is effective in bringing back one's youth or improving skin quality," Fung said. There is generally no thorough sterilization during the process of refining human or animal placenta and viruses like HIV or hepatitis B could grow in it, Fung said.
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