SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a recommendation that all areas in the U.S. and its territories screen blood donations for the Zika virus, not just places currently affected by active virus transmission:
As a further safety measure against the emerging Zika virus outbreak, today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a revised guidance recommending universal testing of donated Whole Blood and blood components for Zika virus in the U.S. and its territories.
"There is still much uncertainty regarding the nature and extent of Zika virus transmission," said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "At this time, the recommendation for testing the entire blood supply will help ensure that safe blood is available for all individuals who might need transfusion."
The FDA first issued guidance on Feb. 16 recommending that only areas with active Zika virus transmission screen donated Whole Blood and blood components for Zika virus, use pathogen-reduction devices, or halt blood collection and obtain Whole Blood and blood components from areas of the U.S. without active virus transmission. All areas with active transmission in the U.S. are currently in compliance with this guidance. The revised guidance announced today recommends that all states and U.S. territories screen individual units of donated Whole Blood and blood components with a blood screening test authorized for use by the FDA under an investigational new drug (IND) application, or a licensed test when available. Alternatively, an FDA-approved pathogen-reduction device may be used for plasma and certain platelet products.
Reported at NPR and Reuters. Another story on NPR notes that Planned Parenthood workers are canvassing afflicted areas in Miami, Florida.
Hong Kong has reported its first case of Zika in a woman who had traveled to the Caribbean.
Finally, the CDC is reporting the first known case of asymptomatic Zika transmission:
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 today. It's the first documented case of a person with no symptoms sexually transmitting the virus to a partner who had not traveled to an area of active Zika circulation.
(Score: 2) by dak664 on Sunday August 28 2016, @03:55PM
There is always some resistance for new blood screening tests until the false positive rate becomes small enough to maintain adequate supply. Don't know the false positive rate of the current test.