Researchers have discovered existing drugs can treat the deadly virus which is spread to people through mosquito bites. All donors’ blood samples will be tested for Zika along with other infectious diseases, according to the FDA guidance.
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“As new scientific and epidemiological information regarding Zika virus has become available, it’s clear that additional precautionary measures are necessary”, said Luciana Borio, the FDA’s acting chief scientist, in the release.
Zika, detected in Brazil and elsewhere previous year before spreading to the Americas, is associated with microcephaly, a birth defect characterized by an unusually small head and potential developmental problems. Pathogen reduction has also been identified as a measure for reducing the risk of bacterial contamination of platelets to prevent against transfusion-transmitted sepsis.
Apart from Zika, several other viral infections during pregnancy can also cause hearing loss among newborns, including rubella and cytomegalovirus.
“Children with evidence of congenital Zika virus infection who have normal initial screening tests should receive regular follow-up, because onset of hearing loss could be delayed and the loss could be progressive”, they concluded.
Zika was first detected in Brazil a year ago and has since spread across the Americas. Babies infected can be born with birth defects. So far, there have been about 40 cases of homegrown Zika in Florida. 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.
And while only one in five infected people will feel symptoms, including fever, rash, muscle pain and red eyes lasting a week to 10 days, Zika has been associated with devastating birth defects and neurological disorders.
The agency is urging blood centers to use one of two experimental tests meant to detect active infections before releasing donated blood for use in transfusions. The compounds include emricasan, an investigational drug now being evaluated in a clinical trial to reduce liver injury and fibrosis, and niclosamide, an FDA-approved drug for use in humans to treat worm infections.
Of the 11 cases in Kansas, eight are in the northeast part of the state, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The Maryland man had traveled to the Dominican Republic, one of the many countries in the Caribbean and Latin America hit with a Zika outbreak.
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This Q & A will tell you what you need to know about Zika.
