Appendix E. APPENDIX E: History of Blood Safety, Canada’s Track Record, and Compensation Issues

1940’s - Late in the 1940’s a study was released warning of the greatly increased dangers of Post Transfusion Infection (PTI) with hepatitis in commercially purchased blood and blood sourced from prisons. They determined this by using elevated bilirubin levels to detect the hepatitis. This is a surrogate test.

1955 - Dr.’s Worblewski and Ladue publish extensive paper on PTI hepatitis using elevated ALT and AST values. Surrogate testing.

Test to detect hepatitis B is developed. Surrogate testing shows that PTI of hepatitis is still present and it is called Non B hepatitis. Test to detect hepatitis A is developed and surrogate testing confirms that there is still PTI of hepatitis. There are now three classes of hepatitis: A, B and NonA NonB or NANB. PTI of NANB hepatitis turns out to be a collection of viruses of which hep C comprises 90%.

1965 - West Germany adopts surrogate testing (testing for elevated ALT and AST levels) to screen out hepatitis NonA Non B from their blood systems. Other European countries follow suit over the next 15 years.

1971 - The Canadian Red Cross bans use of prison blood. (this is significant when you read about "clause 32," Continental Pharmaceuticals in Montreal, and the USA prison blood).

1974/75 - Term hepatitis C first coined by Prince but was quickly discarded because they soon realized it consisted of more than one virus.

1979 - Canadian Medical Association journal publishes complete instruction guide on how to use surrogate testing to detect PTI of NANB hepatitis.

1981 - Such world experts in virology as Dr. Harvey J. Alter push for surrogate testing on all blood products in the U.S.A. and while the authorities drag their feet some centers like the New York blood center adopt screening on their own.

1985 - In the spring of 1985 the federal government licensed as an anti-hemophilia agent a product called Haemate P. It was heat treated using the "wet method" which killed both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses and was for treating both hemophilia A (factor VIII) and vonwillebrands disease (vonwillebrand factor and factor VIII). This product sat on the shelves. It does not show up in Nova Scotia until 1992-93 and I didn’t hear about until the spring of 96 after I was told I was infected. Sadly I know a young man who was diagnosed with hemophilia A in the fall of 86 over a year after this product was licensed but the Nova Scotia medical profession responsible for his treatment put him on untreated cryo-precipitate for the first four years of his life with the result that he has chronic hepatitis C—when there was no need whatsoever.

1986 - With a supply of HIV tested product in their possession, but unable to get anybody to guarantee payment to cover the cost of destroying the untested dangerous product they have in stock, the Canadian Red Cross puts the untested product in the front to be used before the safer product will be dispensed. I add this HIV incident to the hep C story to illustrate how, in my opinion, little things have changed.

1986 - The U.S.A. becomes the latest and the last of the industrialized nations to adopt surrogate testing to screen their blood supply for NANB hepatitis. Canada joins Spain and Japan in refusing their citizens this extra measure of safety.

1988 - Tests by Harvey J. Alter show PTI of hepatitis NANB to be twice as high in Canada as in the United States despite the USA’s use of commercially purchased blood.

1992 - A test for the Hep C virus is introduced. Prior to this they were looking for surface antigens and or antibodies to the disease to detect it in blood. Both of these are surrogate tests in that they use the presence of something other than the virus in to diagnose hep C.

1992/93 - Hamate P is finally introduced into the treatment plan for Nova Scotian vonwillebrands disease carriers. Despite being licensed in 1985 as an anti-hemophilia treatment, young Nova Scotian hemophiliacs born and diagnosed well after the spring 85 date have been kept on Cryoprecipitate, resulting in PTI of hepatitis C.

Nov. 1996 - The first law suit against the Federal Government, The Nova Scotia Government and the Red Cross is launched in Halifax Nova Scotia by five individuals including young hemophiliacs kept on Cryoprecipitate when haemate P was available.

1997 – The Krever Report is published. In it Justice Horace Krever recommends compensation for all victims of tainted blood in Canada, without prejudice. The report is ignored.

1998 – Then Justice Minister Allan Rock announces a compensation package which excludes pre 86 and post 90 people and is riddled with clauses that require the victims to accept all responsibility for the package while forgiving all past and future wrong doings by the government and its agencies. The process involved in filing a claim is so complicated that it exhausts and confuses the victims. Class Action lawyers suddenly appear and the victims vanish. The lawyers come out from behind closed doors with a package that will enrich them by $50,000,000 plus. Payment to the lawyers occurs well before any victim sees a penny.

Spring 1999 - National convention on CJD infected blood products is held in Toronto. Federal Department of health decides to re-release the contaminated products, despite the World Health Organization’s recommendations of 1998.

Summer 1999 Canadian Blood Services CBS tells people that they may have to pay for safer blood products out of their own pockets

Summer of 1999 Canadian Blood Services request permission to be added to the lengthy list of allowed to dip from the Hep C compensation pool. Seems everybody except the victims with Hep C are in the pool.

Aug. 18, 1999 despite the above (spring 1999) Canadian government states that that the blood system is as safe as can be.

To protect ourselves from a lawsuit, we could not go into further detail here about these shocking matters. If you wish to find out more about the issues of government cover-ups and the trade in prison blood, please email Bruce DeVenne at bdevenne@ns.sympatico.ca.

Compensation in Canada (Thanks to Smilin’ Sandi for this list: http://creativeintensity.com/smking/tainted.htm

Hepatitis C Class Action Suit Line: 1-800-229-LEAD

Health Canada Compensation Line: 1-888-780-1111

Canadian Red Cross Information Line: Lookback programs 1-800-668-2866 for Canada; Lookback B.C. call 1-888-770-4800

Canadian Blood Services Lookback/Traceback & Info Line: 1-888-462-4056

Hema-Quebec Lookback/Traceback & Info Line: 1-888-666-4362

RCMP Blood Probe 1-888-530-1111 TIPS. Or, 345 Harry Walker Parkway, South Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 8P6 Fax: (905) 953-7747

Pre 86 / Post 90 (before 1986 and after June 30,1990) http://www.pre86hepc.com/

British Columbia: Contact Klein Lyons in Vancouver (604-874-7171 or fax: 604-874-7180) 1-800-468-4466. www.kleinlyons.com/pages/class_actions/Hepatitis_C.htm

Ontario: The Ontario Hepatitis C Assistance Plan: Application for Compensation for Ontario residents 1-877-222-4977, In Toronto (416) 327-0539, 1-877-434-0944 Canadian Red Cross Registration Line for Transfusion Claimants prior to 1986 and after 1990. Call 1-800-563-2387 (Ernst & Young Law Office) for a claims package

Quebec: Contact Lauzon Belanger S.E.N.C. www.lauzonbelanger.qc.ca. Red Cross Compensation Registration. New phone # effective Oct. 10, 2001 in Montreal. 1-888-840-5764

Other provinces, contact Goodman and Carr LLP at pre86hepc@goodmancarr.com www.goodmancarr.com.

1986-1990 (January 1, 1986 - July 1, 1990) Hepatitis C Class Actions Settlement 6/15/99 http://www.hepc8690.ca/