U.S. blood banks confident blood supply safe from Zika virus stat : Gephardt Daily News

SATURDAY, April 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) — U.S. blood banks are confident they have the tools to protect America's blood supply from possible new Zika virus outbreaks during the upcoming mosquito season. However, because pasteurization alters proteins in whole blood, it can't be used to rid most donor blood of Zika, Stramer noted. "Indeed, Zika virus seems to be more sensitive to heat than other closely related viruses," federal regulators wrote in an accompanying editorial. At that time, blood donations were not being effectively screened in that country. Ten of the 14 donors reported travel to an active Zika transmission area within 90 days before donating blood, researchers reported.




"The Lower Rio Grande Valley remains the part of the state most at risk for Zika transmission," Hellerstedt continued. "It's only a matter of time until we see local transmission here again," he said. The region seems to be the hardest hit in Texas, the DSHS says, because of its history of local transmission of dengue — a closely related virus — and its proximity to Mexico. DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt warned that Zika remains a significant health risk to pregnant women and their babies in Texas. For pregnant women in Texas not in the six listed counties, they should be tested if they have traveled to areas with ongoing Zika transmission, including any part of Mexico.





collected by :Lucy William

To follow all the new news about From Addiction to Recovery