Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease confirmed at Saint John hospital

Patients at St. Joseph's Hospital in Saint John are being alerted of a confirmed case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease at the hospital.

Health officials in Saint John have contacted 150 patients after they learned of a confirmed case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

The rare disease which affects roughly one in a million was confirmed at St. Joseph’s Hospital and forced the closure of operating rooms while they are disinfected.

An information forum will be held Tuesday evening for those impacted by the closure.

“At that time, we will have a number of experts there who will be able to answer any questions or concerns they might have,” says medical director Dr. David Marr. “The whole point of this is to be transparent about the process of what happened.”

Hospital staff say they don’t believe anyone is at risk, but they want to alleviate any concerns patients may have.