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: 3, Insightful) by AndyTheAbsurd on Sunday August 28 2016, @12:10AM
Given that it's currently mosquito season across pretty much the entire US, and it's also "vacation season" in a lot of places (which means people will be traveling), this is probably a good idea. However, there's no information in TFS stating how effective current screening tests are, so it's hard to say if this is a REAL safety measure or a case of "something must be done, this is something, so let's do this".
Also, there's a known case of Zika transmission in my county [tampabay.com], so I'm getting a kick, etc. Actually, I haven't been bitten by any skeeters lately, maybe I should find out where the BloodMobile is going to be...
Please note my username before responding. You may have been trolled.
(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.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Sunday August 28 2016, @12:50AM
this is just the beginning. i totally called it. [soylentnews.org]
the irony here is this was like the one outbreak we could have contained but we decided it wasn't important enough. we really earned this pandemic.
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by Snotnose on Sunday August 28 2016, @01:05AM
News was all over some woman with a kid, she has Zika but the kid doesn't. She doesn't speak english, but somehow her kid's health care is paid for by my taxes.
I'm sorry, you want sympathy from me when you live in my country, you need to be able to speak english. This applies to not only Zika but everything from minimum wage laws to having family member deported.
Be fun to see how this gets moderated, anything from troll, to offtopic, to insightful.
Before the trolls jump in, I have no intention of voting for Trump.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 4, Touché) by AndyTheAbsurd on Sunday August 28 2016, @01:18AM
I'm going to be an asshole, too: "English" needs to be capitalized. If you're going to claim to be able to speak and write in the language, please do so with a reasonable level of accuracy.
Please note my username before responding. You may have been trolled.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 28 2016, @02:34PM
No "might be" about it. You are an asshole maybe even a sociopath.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Sunday August 28 2016, @01:06AM
I've been watching the US News media, especially in the Pacific Northwest, and after every Zika story they take great pains to explain that the Zika carrying mosquito is not found in their area.
I've yet to see anything in the science that suggests this can not be carried by other types of mesquites or any other blood sucking biter. If it is something truly genetic, how long till the mutation comes along?
I really do wonder why the MSM is so dismissive of this threat. Congress is also sort of nanchalanting the whole issue, and it reminds me of the ISIS as the JV team attitude.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anne Nonymous on Sunday August 28 2016, @01:11AM
FDA: Screen All U.S. Blood Donations for Zika Virus
Everybody else: Well, duh.