US Blood Banks Urged Not To Accept Blood From Donors With Zika Risk

Blood banks to start returning donors who are at Zika virus risk. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has urged to do so.

Clinics across the US is following the new protocol and turning back those blood donors who had recently traveled to Zika infected countries or had sex with the person who had been to such places. Travelers are urged not to donate blood for four weeks after returning back from a Zika outbreak country.

Professor Lawrence Gostin from Georgetown University said they need to protect the blood supply and stop transmission of Zika virus to people, particularly the women of child bearing age.

As of now there are over 800 confirmed cases in the continental US and it is found almost all of them had traveled abroad.

The confirmed cases are not caused by local mosquitoes and hence the new blood donation protocol is required for the time being.

Zika virus can cause birth defects if contracted by pregnant women. It is transmitted either through mosquito bites or through blood transfusion.

Meanwhile, the blood banks are worried the new FDA protocol could undercut supplies.