Statement of Principles concerning Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 81 of 2022) (Cth)

Statement of Principles concerning CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 81 of 2022) The Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Statement of Principles under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

Dated 23 August 2022

The Common Seal of the Repatriation Medical Authority was affixed to this instrument at the direction of:

Professor Terence Campbell AM Chairperson

Contents 1 Name 2 Commencement 3 Authority 4 Repeal 5 Application 6 Definitions 7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates 8 Basis for determining the factors 9 Factors that must exist 10 Relationship to service 11 Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles Schedule 1 - Dictionary 1 Definitions

1 Name This is the Statement of Principles concerning Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 81 of 2022). 2 Commencement This instrument commences on 19 September 2022. 3 Authority This instrument is made under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986. 4 Repeal The Statement of Principles concerning Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease No. 77 of 2014 (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2014L01139) made under subsection 196B(3) of the VEA is repealed. 5 Application This instrument applies to a claim to which section 120B of the VEA or section 339 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 applies. 6 Definitions The terms defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary have the meaning given when used in this instrument. 7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates (1) This Statement of Principles is about Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and death from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Meaning of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (2) For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: (a) means a spongiform encephalopathy characterised by an accumulation of abnormal prion protein in the brain; and (b) includes sporadic (classical) and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; Note 1: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, also known as CJD, is characterised by rapidly progressive dementia, myoclonus and motor disturbances. Note 2: variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary. (3) While Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease attracts ICD‑10‑AM code A81.0, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is that given in subsection (2). (4) For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Tenth Edition, effective date of 1 July 2017, copyrighted by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, ISBN 978-1-76007-296-4. Death from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (5) For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Note: terminal event is defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary. 8 Basis for determining the factors On the sound medical‑scientific evidence available, the Repatriation Medical Authority is of the view that it is more probable than not that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and death from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease can be related to relevant service rendered by veterans or members of the Forces under the VEA, or members under the MRCA. Note: MRCA, relevant service and VEA are defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary. 9 Factors that must exist At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or death from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service: (1) receiving treatment involving a human tissue or product as specified at least 6 months before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; Note: human tissue or product as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary. (2) undergoing neurosurgery at least 6 months before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; (3) for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease only: (a) receiving blood or blood products from a person infected with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease at least 3 years before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; or (b) consuming beef or a beef product from an area or country with evidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy infection in cattle at the time of consumption, where the beef or beef product was consumed at least 3 years before the clinical onset of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Note 1: Consuming beef or beef product contaminated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy has occurred in countries without domestic bovine spongiform encephalopathy that have imported beef or beef product from a country with bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Note 2: variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, blood products, beef product, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy are defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary. 10 Relationship to service (1) The existence in a person of any factor referred to in section 9, must be related to the relevant service rendered by the person. 11 Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles In this Statement of Principles: (1) if a factor referred to in section 9 applies in relation to a person; and (2) that factor refers to an injury or disease in respect of which a Statement of Principles has been determined under subsection 196B(3) of the VEA; then the factors in that Statement of Principles apply in accordance with the terms of that Statement of Principles as in force from time to time.