KEY POINTS:
Most of the 43 patients at risk - albeit small - of contracting CJD through shared surgical instruments were contacted by Auckland hospital staff over the past two days.
Each patient has been sent an information pack and their GPs have been sent letters with more information.
The hospital's head of neurosurgery, Edward Mee, said patients were initially concerned but "I think they have gone away with a recognition that the chance of them contracting the disease is remote. It's not zero. But it is extremely unlikely."
Infectious diseases expert Mark Thomas said there have only been eight cases of CJD from contamination of surgical instruments worldwide.
"And it hasn't happened since the 1970s."
There were no tests to assess if the patient would develop CJD.
"That will be followed up in [the] outpatient clinics and we will continue to provide them with information that we as neurosurgeons have had since the 1980s about this," said Dr Mee.
Chief medical officer David Sage was unsure yesterday if the 43 patients will be placed under a monitoring programme.
"We need to have a national approach to this. We have just come upon this ourselves, and so we haven't developed what we are going to do in future.
"It needs to have a New Zealand wide approach. We will need assistance from the Ministry of Health to decide where to go from here."
