With cases of travel-related Zika spreading across the US, the FDA took the step to expand its Zika testing recommendations in the hopes of preventing any spread of the virus through donated blood.
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Its previous guideline issued in February recommended active screening of donated blood only in “areas with active Zika virus transmission”.
Blood banks nationwide already test donations for HIV, hepatitis and West Nile, among other blood-borne viruses.
Indeed, one unit of donated blood in Florida was recently found to contain Zika virus and was intercepted, Marks told reporters on a conference call.
This news was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control, and the health institute announced that this was the first documented case of a person with no symptoms sexually transmitting the virus to a partner. A delay in Zika funding puts Americans at risk, President said.
Four out of five people who get Zika do not show any of the common symptoms, which may include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes.
Singapore in May reported the first imported case of Zika virus infection – a 48-year-old male Singapore resident who had travelled to Sao Paulo in Brazil earlier in the year. They include Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, California, New York Louisiana and Texas, which have several residents who vacationed at Zika-infected states or are near a place that now has instances of mosquito infestation. The FDA said that blood banks in all other states need to start testing within the next three months and Bonfils said it will. The virus’ been brought to the continental U.S.by more than 2,000 people.
The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. “In Brazil, Zika has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly, and USA officials expect as many as 270 cases in Puerto Rico, where local transmission of the virus is widespread”.
Assuming the weekly need is met, that could lead to a Zika testing cost of up to $10,000 a week for LifeShare Blood Centers.
Also, men with a Zika diagnosis should wait at least six months before trying for pregnancy and women with Zika should wait at least eight weeks before trying to conceive, the agency says.
A second CDC report adds to knowledge about the link between Zika and Guillain-Barre, which is characterized by weakness and paralysis.
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Two US lawmakers, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of CT and Congressman Lloyd Doggett of Texas, had recently urged the FDA to expand testing for Zika to blood banks nationwide, saying it would cost less than $10 per donor. The move is “a strong step forward in protecting our nation’s blood supply”, said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.
