War on Zika
FDA wants expansion of blood testing
SEEKING TO STEM the spread of Zika, federal officials recommended Friday that all U.S. blood centers begin screening for the mosquito-borne virus.
The new Food and Drug Administration directive represents a major expansion from its previous stance, which called for screenings limited to areas with active Zika transmissions.
“There is still much uncertainty regarding the nature and extent of Zika virus transmission,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s biologic products center. “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.”
Blood banks in 11 states where Zika cases have been reported, including New York, must put the new safeguards in place as soon as possible, but no later than Sept. 23.
Blood collection sites in all states should be testing donations for Zika by Nov. 18, the FDA says.
The state health department said it supports the FDA’s announcement and will send the guidance to the 16 hospitals that collect blood for transfusion in New York.
Zika testing is already underway at blood banks in Puerto Rico and parts of Florida where “it has shown to be beneficial in identifying donations infected with Zika virus,” the FDA said.
Several other blood collection sites across the U.S. are already voluntarily using experimental Zika tests.
Adding Zika to the other viruses that blood banks already screen for, including HIV and the West Nile virus, costs less than $10.
There have been no cases of Zika related to blood transfusions in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The ramped-up response to the Zika crisis comes a week after U.S. officials warned pregnant women against traveling to a tourist heavy area of Miami Beach.
The area has seen two outbreaks of Zika — representing the first cases of local transmission in the U.S.
So far, 43 cases of locally transmitted Zika have been identified in the U.S., all in Florida.
Travelers at LaGuardia Airport preparing to fly to Florida said they’re planning to take extra precautions to combat Zika.
“I’ve definitely thought about it. It’s scary,” said Chelsea Barnwell, 25, of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, who was flying to Miami to visit family. “I brought my sunblock and I have a lot of mosquito repellent. Everyone in my family is gonna be completely covered.”
Zika is mostly spread through mosquitoes but can also be transmitted through sex. The virus, which has ravaged Latin America and the Caribbean, can cause severe brain-related birth defects.