U.S. to halt blood donation by travelers to areas with Zika

[Pathfinder]

U.S. to Halt Blood Donation by Travelers to Areas With Zika

Anna Edney
January 27, 2016 ? 2:02 PM CST Updated on January 27, 2016 ? 4:10 PM CST

People who have traveled to regions affected by the Zika virus will be temporarily stopped from donating blood in the U.S., the latest precaution against an infection tied to birth defect risks in pregnant womenthat has been rapidly spreading in part of Latin America.

The Food and Drug Administration is working with other government agencies and with blood collection establishments ?to rapidly implement appropriate donor deferral measures for travelers who have visited affected regions in order to protect the blood supply in the United States,? Tara Goodin, a spokeswoman for the agency, said in an e-mail Wednesday.

Implementing the deferment is still a work in progress, and the FDA declined to say when it would enact the halt on donations.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-donation-by-travelers-to-zika-affected-areas

 

[Pathfinder]

Zika virus: Canadian Blood Services looking at donation policy

Michael Shulman, CTVNews.ca
Published Wednesday, January 27, 2016 10:06PM EST
Last Updated Wednesday, January 27, 2016 11:23PM EST

Canadian Blood Services isn't ruling out changes to its blood-donation policy amid a report that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will temporarily stop accepting blood from people who have recently travelled to regions affected by the Zika virus.

A spokesperson for the U.S. federal agency told Bloomberg that it is working with other government agencies to implement "donor-deferral measures" for travellers who have returned to the U.S. to protect the country's "blood supply."

When asked about the FDA's move, CBS said it is "carefully monitoring" the issue, but there is no "yes-or-no answer at this time."

However, the organization says it considering revision to its travel deferrals.

?We are carefully monitoring the zika virus issue and are considering revisions to our travel deferral policies in order to protect the Canadian blood supply from the threat of this virus,? Dr. Dana Devine, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for Canadian Blood Services, said in a statement to CTV News.
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http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/zika-virus-canadian-blood-services-looking-at-donation-policy-1.2755179

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

In the Netherlands it has been standard protocol for years : wait a month before donating blood if you return from a country with endemic dengue or chikungunya. So Zika should be covered by this, no extra or new policy here.