The Food and Drug Administration wants all US blood banks to start screening for Zika virus, a major expansion meant to protect the nation’s blood supply from the mosquito-borne disease. There are a total of 2,517 cases of Zika in the USA states and D.C., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 9,011 more in US territories.
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The recommendations are an acknowledgment that sexual transmission may facilitate Zika’s spread even in areas where mosquitoes carrying the virus are not present. The sample is then sent to a facility in Phoenix, Arizona where it is tested for things like HIV, and West Nile.
A man who had no idea he had Zika has given the virus to his female partner during sex, the Centers for Disease Control announced Friday. One Zika-positive blood donation, though, was recently intercepted in Florida, Marks said Friday. It has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly in Brazil.
The agency said its decision to expand blood screening in the United States was based on concerns about more cases of local transmission in Florida, the growing number of travel-related infections and concerns that Zika-tainted blood could unwittingly be given to a pregnant woman, putting her unborn baby at risk of severe birth defects. They said there intent is to protect the nation’s blood supply from the mosquito-borne virus. “They can’t collect blood there now so they’re going to have to import from other parts of the country, like from up here”, says Dr. Andrzejewski.
FDA officials said they do not anticipate any problems supplying the tests throughout the U.S.
Maldonado also said it’s crucial for all donations to be safe.
“Testing labs and the test vendors are working feverishly to allow testing to start on time in the areas subject to the 12 week timeline”, said Dr. Louis Katz, in an email.
The FDA is updating its guidance after careful consideration of all available scientific evidence, consultation with other public health agencies, and taking into consideration the potential serious health consequences of Zika virus infection to pregnant women and children born to women exposed to Zika virus during pregnancy. Such tests are now approved. “Our recommendations had considered the transmission from a person who seems otherwise healthy, because four out of five people who are infected with Zika won’t develop symptoms”.
“We are gathering data on the performance of the test while the test is in a sense being required by the FDA”, she said.
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This Q & A will tell you what you need to know about Zika.
