FDA To Conduct A Mandatory Screening To All Blood Banks In The United States

All blood donated in the United States must be tested for Zika as recommended by the health authorities. The US Food and Drug Administration declared this last Friday. It is a preventive way for the virus to spread in the blood supply.

The rising number of the mosquito-borne disease cases in Florida worries the FDA, because there is a great chance that it can accidentally be infused in pregnant women and increase the risk of their unborn child to have serious birth defects. To avoid this from happening, they decided to screen all blood donations from the United States and its territories. In a conference call with reporters, FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research director, Peter Marks said, "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 the transfusion," reports Reuters.

Experts, including members from the American Red Cross, conducted a research earlier this month and believed that two Zika-positive people got the virus from a blood transfusion. Thus, several local blood banks have already implemented this screening including those in Tampa, Atlanta and Houston. Through these screenings, FDA confirmed last Friday, that one Zika-infected person has already been prevented from donating blood. Marks said, "that donor, whose blood tested positive before it could enter the national supply, was likely infected through travel." 

Before the wide spreading of Zika in Florida happened, Congress representative Lloyd Doggett proposed to FDA to have a compulsory screening to all blood donations. Rep. Doggett wrote to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf and the letter said, "If we wait for the first confirmed locally transmitted Zika case to begin testing, we risk serious harm to the stability of our blood supply," according to The Hill. Though it will be costly, with an estimate of $10 per blood donor to be tested, representatives are urging to have a mandatory screening from then on to ensure safety of patients from this deadly disease.