Zika's ability to pass via blood from mother to fetus and through sexual transmission has raised concern in regards to the viability of its transfer through blood donations.
Here are five things to know about Zika and blood transfusions:
1. According to National Geographic, concern about the blood supply is warranted. In 2002, when West Nile virus first came to the U.S., transfusions administered to a teenage accident victim — who became an organ donor after she died from injuries — transferred the virus to all four recipients of her organs. The Food and Drug Administration has already issued guidelines in hopes of mitigating similar Zika-related issues in the near future.
2. New analysis published in PLoS Currents Outbreaks has heightened blood supply concerns. The study puts forth shocking numbers regarding the influx of travelers coming from Zika hotbeds — up to 1 million per month in Miami and New York; 500,000 per month in Atlanta, Houston, New York and Dallas; and millions per month through the border crossings of San Diego and two Texas cities — El Paso and Laredo.
3. Another cause for concern is the fact that many individuals carrying Zika are unaware of any infection. Researchers are also unsure how long the virus circulates in the blood, otherwise known as the period of viremia. Matthew Kuehnert, MD, director of the Office of Blood, Organ and Other Tissue Safety at the CDC, told National Geographic, "There is little that we know about transfusion transmission of Zika, although I think we should assume it can happen... from the data that has been collected on Zika, about 80 percent of people don't know they are infected. There is a period of viremia, but we don't know how long that viremia is. It is thought to be seven to 10 days, but as we start to collect more data we may find it is longer than that."
4. The proliferation of Zika in Puerto Rico has quickly disrupted the balance of blood supplies there. A blood-outsourcing program combining the blood-collecting capabilities of the American Red Cross, Blood Centers of America, America's Blood Centers and HHS is currently assisting the island nation.
5. In his conversation with National Geographic, Dr. Kuehnert added, "It is possible we could get a transfusion or transplant transmission case before we even know local transmission of Zika is occurring."
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