X-Message-Number: 24555
From: 
Subject: Possible viral contamination of cryonics patients
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 02:41:28 US/Eastern

          Bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells harvested
from different patients and stored in the same cryopreservation
tank has led to transmission of hepatitis B virus between patients
after transplantation [LANCET 346:137-140 (1995)]. Liquid nitrogen
is, after all, a liquid -- and is thus a suitable medium for the diffusion
of very small particles such as hepatitis B virus.  The contamination
cited above indicates that hepatitis B particles (possibly combined
with cryoprotectant molecules) are hardy enough to survive 
diffusion in liquid nitrogen. 

   I don't think this is a matter of serious concern for cryonicists, nor
do I think any costs should be incurred to prevent possible
contamination. Extensive molecular repair will be required to reanimate

all existing cryonics patients and the addition of sterilization/decontamination
procedures to the reanimation protocol would be trivial by comparison.

                      -- Ben Best

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